A Twist of Fate
by matrixaffiliate
Summary: In Ancient Greece, Fate and Gods walk with mortals and beasts alike. Some gods are flighty, sometimes Fate has a sense of humor, and at one point Sirius and Marlene just hope they'll make it out alive. Co-written with EnthusiasticSloth! Blackinnon AU!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: From the dynamic duo who brought you Glimpsing Happiness and Like the Storybooks, PJ and I are excited to bring you A Twist of Fate! Enjoy our third Blackinnon AU! Read it on her account (EnthusiasticSloth) too! **

Over the course of his life, Sirius had grown rather accustomed to the sound of his mother's screaming. It wasn't even always directed at him. He learned to tune it out regardless.

The weather was just lovely outside and as per usual, the vines in his yard behind the family shop grew more prosperous than any of the neighbors. Those vines were a little thing he prided himself on. For all the disappointment and shame he brought his mother, she could never say that he was disappointing in the realm of growing grapes.

He stood in his family's shop beneath their living quarters, the Grecian sun seemed much cheerier than his day was going, but he seemed to have an innate ability to bounce back. Sirius was, by nature, jovial. It surprised even him considering the woman before him was his mother.

"Are you even listening to me!" His mother stomped her foot. "You can't just give away our food! We have a shop to run! We aren't meant to let filth rob us! Especially not on purpose."

His grandfather—his mother's father, as he knew nothing of his father nor any paternal relatives—had been a merchant. The family, for generations, had managed a little spot at the Agora where they sold wheat and barley, as well as freshly baked bread. They'd started selling fruit and wine as well during Sirius's lifetime.

"The man was hungry, mother." Sirius sighed, this was an old fight. "Besides, it wasn't as if the food was flying off the shelf today. It might have gone bad before anyone came round to purchase it."

"He was just a slave." She huffed. "It's not your place to go feeding other people's slaves."

"He's a person," Sirius flinched knowing this would not go over well, but nothing really did with his mother, so he let himself continue "And was hungry. I fed him. We're fine. You're not going hungry, are you, Mother?"

"You horrible little ingrate! I wish…" She hesitated, "I wish I'd never met the damned god of wine! You have no respect. For me or for humanity in general!"

Sirius froze, "I'm going to put aside how that is objectively false, and ask you… what does this have to do with the god of wine? Dionysus?"

"Yes, I guess that it's out in the open then. He was the one who left me with _you_." She threw a rag at him.

Sirius' whole world spun around upon itself in an effort to rearrange everything he knew and thought was true up to this point with the last sentence that rang out in his mother's acid-filled voice.

She had been young when he was born. She was still young, really. Not yet 40. Her dark olive complexion showed no hint of age. Not a single grey had appeared in her thick black hair, which she kept in a braid these days. She would have been a stunning young woman, Sirius was sure, if she hadn't been so awfully unpleasant. Perhaps she had been better at hiding it 20 some years ago, especially when the god of wine was involved.

Bizarrely, he found himself wondering what Dionysus looked like, and wondering if he resembled him at all. That was an idiotic thought because no god could even be seen in their true form. He probably looked like some sort of great and terrible blinding light. Sirius looked like… a person. Not unlike his mother even, excepting their eyes. The way they saw the world was entirely different. Her amber eyes were hateful while his steel grey ones at least tried to see the good in people.

"...So… My _father…_ is the _god_ Dionysus?"

"Yes. Unfortunately. Clearly, he didn't have any use for you either." She spat.

"Does he know?" Sirius turned to stare at his mother.

"Well, I assume that he must. He's a god and all." She shook her head in disgust.

"Perhaps he was busy! Forgot to check in!" Sirius looked out at the little town he called home, as if Dionysus would suddenly pop out of one of the shops. "Gods tend to get around you know." He smirked, "Well I guess you _really do _know… but…"

"Bite your tongue young man!" She spun to slap him but Sirius was already at the door.

"Mother, you're going to have to find someone else to mind your shop and take your insults. Turns out I'm not a young man, I'm a young demi-god and I think I'm off to find my father. Thanks for… Yeah, not a lot…"

"You can't just… leave!" She moved from behind the counter towards him.

"Funny, it seems like I'm doing just that! Farewell!" His voice was entirely casual as he walked out of their front door and down the stone steps in front of the home to which he hoped he'd never have instance to return.


	2. Chapter 2

Marlene reached her hand out and caught the peach as it fell from the tree, a feat for any mere mortal that would have been considered fate. Marlene smiled and handed the peach to two little girls playing on the road.

"For you, sisters," she smiled as the younger one took it eagerly.

"Share with me, Cleora!" The older one reached for it as the younger took a bite. "That's the woman with blue eyes! She's the daughter of Moira, we'll be blessed for eating her gift!"

Marlene smiled as Cleora handed the peach to the older girl. "Today, sisters, you will be prosperous," Marlene patted Cleora's head and then continued her walk to her father's home.

She preferred incidents like that one, the alternative had been something she was all too accustomed to. People feared her mother, going to such lengths as to describe her as old and decrepit. Anyone who had actually seen Moira knew better. The Woman of Fate was beautiful, as Marlene's father, Vassilis, was well aware of. But her mother knew every being's life and destiny and had this obsession with not sharing, so she became something of a death omen, and Marlene inherited her mother's reputation. She'd also ended up with her mother's bright blue eyes, like the clear blue ocean that surrounded them, so blending in with the masses was not an option. She may as well have had goats legs. Upon consideration, perhaps her blue eyes weren't all that bad. Some halflings really _did _have goats legs.

The closer into Dion she came the more apparent the wide range of reactions were. A few people went so far as to run for their homes and pull the curtains closed. As if not being able to see her would make her less dangerous.

What was worse was Marlene saw many of these things twice. The part of her that could see a few moments into the future would see what was to come, and then her human eyes would watch it play out before her. But nothing compared to having to experience the pain of betrayal twice. The experience of the mortal man she had hoped to wed, Kyril, betraying her with another woman made her give up on the idea of romance.

But a relationship was exactly why she was subjecting herself to this madness of humanity, which she was only partially member of.

Vassilis stood by his front door waiting for her as she approached his house, his dark hair spiraling around his face. It was the one physical trait she had inherited from him. Marlene was her mother in every way save the way her hair grew in the same spirals as her father.

"Marlene," he smiled and took her in his arms. "How are you, my daughter?"

Marlene welcomed his embrace, though she'd grown up living with her mother, her father made sure to be present and a part of her life, choosing to live in the city of Dion at the base of Mt. Olympus.

"I've been well, Father," she smiled as he ushered her inside and retrieved a goblet for each of them.

"I'm glad," he smiled as they sat at his table. "Have you had a chance to think about what I suggested?"

Marlene sighed, "I don't know."

"I know it feels like you'd be giving up a part of yourself," Vassilis nodded. "But I truly think that life as a human would suit you better than a half-fate. It would certainly keep the people from mistreating you. And you'd finally be able to move forward in your life."

"I already tried moving forward," Marlene shook her head. "I don't care to go through that again."

Vassilis smiled sympathetically, "Then allow me to take care of that. There's a fine young man named Giannis here. He's an upstanding citizen and owns his own shop. He's told me that he would be honored to have you as his wife. Wed him as a mortal, my darling. Allow yourself some chance at happiness."

Marlene sighed and looked at her hands, "Open the door, he's here "

Right on cue, there was a rap at the door and Vassilis shook his head as he stood to answer it.

Marlene had the benefit of having seen Giannis in her mind just prior to her father answering the door. She'd seen the man's stoic expression and spotted nothing outstanding in his features. He was of middling height and well built, with a strong jaw that some youths might have giggled and blushed over. Marlene though didn't think he was particularly appealing in looks until the moment when he met her eyes and smiled. He had a kind smile that lit up his face and set Marlene's nerves at ease. Marlene considered that she could get used to a life with that smile.

"Giannis, this is my daughter, Marlene." Vassilis smiled proudly at her.

"Good evening, Marlene." Giannis nodded politely in Marlene's direction, then shook hands with her father.

Marlene cringed at how awkward this exchange was going to be. She needed to learn how to control this ability to see just far enough ahead to make life uncomfortable for herself.

"Good evening, Giannis."

"So," Vassilis pulled out a chair for Giannis and they sat down. "I was hoping the two of you could get to know each other some tonight and then we can set up a time to go over the contract."

"Vassilis, I thought when you said that your daughter was the greatest beauty of her generation that you were perhaps somewhat biased, but I see that you were entirely fair in your assessment. Marlene, it will be an honor to be your husband. I hardly need to look over contracts at all when I could be looking into those eyes. I must say I've never seen anything like them."

"They are from my mother" Marlene braced herself.

"Was she not from around here then?"

"You might say that she isn't. She's from everywhere and nowhere. She was present for the birth of Zeus himself. She lives upon Olympus and spends her days weaving destiny. Her eyes, like mine, see things that others do not."

Marlene had already seen the panic wash the smile off his face once. It was like a candle being blown out by a gust of chilly wind. She hated it. But it was fated.

"I was not aware. This might be cause for some discussion but it's… nothing we can't work around? If you'd like to work around it?" His voice was half-hearted and hesitant. He feared her, everyone did. That too seemed to be fated.

"I have been considering giving up the divine side of my nature as of late, and perhaps my dearest Lord Father had assumed that I would wed as a mortal." Marlene turned to look at her father. At least he didn't look at her with terror in his eyes. He always had nothing but love for her and he even could hold the gaze of her mother unflinching, no other mortal could do that.

"Yes, I did not mean to deceive you in any way good Giannis. I have only just told Marlene of the arrangement," Vassilis interceded. "Please, rest assured that it will happen before the wedding."

Giannis seemed to calm and smiled back at Marlene. It was not the same smile as before, but still, a smile with trepidations underneath was better than none at all, wasn't it? "I have a thriving shop making and selling pottery. I can guarantee you a life of comfort and I can support children. You'd be well taken care of and we would stay in Dion so you could continue to see your father and mother."

Marlene nodded, "That is most kind of you, Giannis."

They spent the evening talking and eating and drinking, but Giannis never looked at her quite the same. He still seemed kind and intent on marriage, but the sense that he feared her never let up. It stung more _because_ the man seemed kind. He would be a good husband. She could love a man like this, but could he ever feel at peace with her? Would anyone ever be at peace with her? If she gave up her divinity, it might help. Perhaps choosing life as a mortal would be the healing balm upon the burn that had plagued her from the time of her birth. Or perhaps she would grow bitter for everything she gave up. Perhaps no one would ever truly forget who she was or where she came from. She could give up her powers but she could not change the way people thought of her. Would Giannis ever think of her as a woman who he could love and not fear? At no point during those hours did she find the answers to those questions.

Giannis left shortly before midnight and Marlene chose to sleep in her father's home. As she bid her father goodnight, he kissed her forehead. "This is everything I can offer you, my dear."

The next morning Marlene set off before the sun rose. She knew her father had been nearly as torn as she over her dual nature. He probably wanted all the same things as she did. He knew that she could never really be a deity, so this was his only solution. The thought of giving up part of herself in an effort to be accepted didn't go down easily though.

In truth, the echo of her life was vexsome, but she loved being able to give people little gifts of hope and joy and prosperity. Her blessings, and curses, only lasted until the sun went down, but they made those who were kind to her so _happy_. She was helping to change the people of Dion's opinion of her mother for the better, and part of her wondered if that was her destiny.

But her father loved her, and as he said, this was everything he could give her. He felt she would be happier as a mortal than a demi-fate. He had found her a man who would take her and provide her every comfort and opportunity. He would have made a good husband to any mortal woman. But he might never be able to look at her like he would any mortal woman...He had been so handsome for just that one moment when he hadn't yet realized the other side of her parentage. That hurt more than anything else in the whole ordeal. Knowing that without this difference that he might have loved her easily.

Things were never going to be easy in the matters of love for Marlene. It was not her fate. She'd thought herself in the throws of love with Kyril, so much that she'd pushed aside her anxieties over the differences. He was mortal but she had been ready to promise herself to him without hesitation - and look how that ended. Perhaps, if she went in knowing and expecting the strange distance between herself and her betrothed husband, it couldn't truly hurt her? Was this the better path, a path to lasting security and a possibility for happiness?

Marlene descended the stairs in Zeus's Palace to her childhood home. Her mother sat in her large chair, the Book of Fates open in her lap.

"My darling daughter," she smiled up at her.

It was easier here. Most of her conversations with her mother occurred in that foresight she possessed. Marlene would simply sit with her mother and whole concepts flowed like her grandmother, the river Nyx, between them.

"_I don't know if I'm willing to give this up."_

"_Your father does you a kindness, from the bottom of his heart."_

"_Is it my destiny?"_

"_You will have to find that for yourself, but once you find it, you can't outrun it."_

"_Mother, you've said that to me my whole life."_

"_And it is still true."_

"_Giannis is kind."_

"_He is."_

"_Do you think he's a good match?"_

"_Do you?"_

Marlene sighed and stood to make breakfast. Her mother knew the answer to that last question, and so did Marlene, but Marlene also knew it wasn't that simple.


	3. Chapter 3

"Wait your dad is a god? How does that work?" Sirius's best friend, James, looked skeptical.

"I'm fairly certain that you know how it works. Dionysus has a ton of kids." Sirius' eyes widened. "Wow! I must have lots of brothers and sisters! Oh no… anyone in the world could be my brother or sister." Then his face paled. "I'm taking a vow of celibacy."

"Sirius you're focusing on entirely the wrong angle here, my friend." James shook his head and laughed. "Shouldn't you have some sort of superpowers? Maybe your mother was lying to you, or she was mistaken."

"I seem insufficiently godly to you? I am _wounded_." Sirius flourished his last word dramatically.

"You're supernaturally annoying?" James smirked at him.

"So you'll help me find him? Where would one look?" Sirius looked out the window of James' kitchen.

"I mean I guess we should probably look for a party. That'd be a place to start?" James shrugged. Sirius smiled, a party sounded fantastic!

~~9 parties later~~

"Ok, so I am exhausted. I take back everything I said." James leaned up against the wall and yawned. "You are obviously a demigod. It's just that most of your power is devoted to… having a good time?"

"Well, you are familiar with Dionysus as a concept, correct?" Sirius chuckled. "Did your mother teach you nothing?"

"At least she was upfront about the identity of my sire!" James spat back.

"Yeah… fair." Sirius surveyed the room. "Does that guy look godly to you?" He pointed to a rather young looking man; beardless and androgynous, across the room, dancing, and only half dressed. If he wasn't a god, he was probably the most shameless person Sirius had ever seen.

"He looks…" James yawned again, "like he's having a lot of fun."

"It could be him I think." Sirius started to push off the wall when James grabbed his arm.

"Wouldn't he need to be older?"

"He's an immortal deity, you nitwit! He can be whatever age he likes." Sirius rolled his eyes. "He could probably be a swan if he likes. I know Zeus found instance that time…" He barked a laugh.

"That was very strange." James shuddered. "Honestly it sort of came off making the woman look stranger than she might've…"

"She laid eggs, James," Sirius interrupted, "everything about her is strange."

"LAAADS!" The possibly divine youthful looking merrymaker beat Sirius to the punch. Before he could get his bearings on the whole ordeal he had a long and unnaturally graceful arm draped over him. This was very odd.

"Have we met?" James, ever a helpful friend, asked pointedly.

"You may have encountered me, when deep in your cups or else in a mad frenzy. I do not know if I have ever had chance to meet you. But this one looks like more fun, in any case." He smiled at Sirius. "You look familiar! I meet so many people you see… it's a hard life." He cackled at the sarcasm of his last words and winked at Sirius.

Sirius did not need to ask his name and now there was no doubt that this was his sire. The man's eyes… the grey color that reflected light like the stars in the night sky… it was like looking in a mirror. Sirius had always wondered who gave him these strange eyes.

"I believe you may have encountered my mother, some twenty-one years ago, my Lord." Sirius cut to the chase. "I'm afraid it was nine moons or so before my birth so sadly, I missed it."

"Oh no…" the god looked slightly abashed. "Did I forget to check up?"

"I'm afraid so," Sirius nodded. "But here I am."

"Well, I see it now." Dionysus handed him another goblet. "You must be my son with that delectable little shopkeeper's daughter. She was such a pretty thing. Is she alright?"

"I suppose. But to speak plainly, the woman is evil. Hated everything I did. Hated people. Hated fun." Sirius shuddered. "I've only just escaped her upon finding out the truth of my parentage."

"She hated fun? Well, I owe you an apology, my boy!" He slapped Sirius on the back, sloshing the wine in his cup, but miraculously not spilling a drop. "Wait… what's your name again?"

"It's Sirius. And yes. Maybe remember to check up next time." Sirius didn't think his father really understood what a couple of decades under his mother's wrath was really like. There didn't seem to be much gravity in the situation for him though.

The god shrugged his naked shoulders. His skin didn't look quite real. It was unmarred, untouched by the sun. The olive-brown tone of his complexion was perfectly even throughout.

"Well let me make it up to you now, Sirius my son. You look like you know how to drink and be merry, right?"

"I'd say so. He's rightly exhausting…" James groaned.

"Oh hello," Dionysus turned back to James surprised. "You're still here. And definitely human. That's alright. I love mortals. Son, your pet mortal is very nice looking."

"Pet Mortal?" Sirius couldn't help but laugh.

"Beg pardon my lord? But I am no one's pet!"

"No? Would you like to be?" Dionysus lowered his voice suggestively and winked at James.

"Err… father…" Sirius pointedly put himself between Dionysus and James, "is it alright to call you father? Could you please stop looking at my friend like that?"

"See!" Dionysus put your arm around Sirius' shoulders again. "I knew he was your pet! I won't take toys that don't belong to me, don't worry! There's plenty of love to go around!" Then his smile brightened. "You should come with me to Dion, Sirius. I have a whole cult there you know."

"A cult. Lovely." James seemed like he would have liked to have disappeared.

Sirius wondered idly if Dionysus could teach him how to disappear. That would be wicked!

"Well I've never been in a cult before but it sounds great! Not like we had anything better to do." Sirius chuckled at how excited he felt about this. Everything about his father was the exact opposite of his mother, and it was exciting!

"I'm so glad! We'll have such fun together. I just know it. My cult is going to love you!" He playfully pinched Sirius's cheeks before being distracted by some sort of loud noise in the distance, calling him away to bring drinks and laughter to some other guests.


	4. Chapter 4

"You just have to decide that you already are the animal. Your body will take whatever shape your mind tells it to. Or it won't. What do I know?" Dionysus was momentarily distracted by a bird's song. James heard Sirius clear his voice and swallowed a laugh as Dionysus turned back to his son. "You do well with the vines though! So… give it a go. How about a lion?"

James looked on as his friend closed his eyes in concentration. Then without ceremony, he shapeshifted. But… he was not a lion. Not in the least… _oh no._

"Not quite my boy… not quite." Dionysus chuckled.

James let himself dissolve into a fit of laughter, so hard he was nearly gasping for breath. His best friend was an adorable black dog.

"You are such a good boy!" James howled with laughter. "Who's a good boy? YOU! You are a good boy."

"Can you get back into human shape?" Dionysus looked concerned. "We can try another animal. Maybe lions aren't your thing. Mine either, really. I prefer the shape of a bull."

Sirius looked somewhat surprised to find himself back on two legs.

"That was very strange. I… was a dog?"

"You were a dog. A great black one. Charming. Try a bull now!" Dionysus conjured an apple from nowhere and bit into it as he leaned an elbow on James's shoulder. They looked at Sirius expectantly.

He looked like he was really concentrating but alas, there he was again, a shaggy and rather friendly looking dog.

"Well, this might be the best thing that ever happened to me, honestly" James laughed.

Sirius, back in human form protested. "Shut it. You know what? You two can have fun. I just learned to turn myself into a dog and that's pretty cool if you ask me, which no one did. I don't care to be a bull. I'm going to go do dog things. Be less annoying when I get back."

"That sounds hard. Not really my style." Dionysus pulled two goblets out of the air, handed one to James, and raised his towards Sirius as he transformed. "But have a nice time as a dog, son!"

Sirius barked back at them, already far off in the distance.

"Dionysus," a woman's voice sounded behind James and the God of Wine.

Dionysus, who James had only ever observed as a jovial character, seemed to sober just a fraction as he turned to observe an incredibly beautiful woman. Her hair was long and blacker than the night's sky, but her eyes were blue. Her unnaturally vivid eyes seemed to shine brighter than the sun itself. James found he couldn't place the woman's age if his life had depended on it. She seemed both young and aged in a timeless way that made James stare, captivated by her beauty. Inhuman was the only word to describe her. She did not look human in the very least.

"Moira," Dionysus inclined his head. "I trust you've been well."

Moira, however, turned to James, and as she stared back, his blood ran cold. Then she smiled.

"All will be well for you, James, you need not fear me."

And then the name clicked and James stammered as he addresses the Woman of Fate, "I, I, that's, thank you."

James was vaguely aware of Dionysus shaking his head and huffing at him.

"What tidings do you bring, Moira?" Dionysus pulled the woman's eyes back to him.

"You have recently found one of your sons," Moira started, but Dionysus groaned.

"Are there _more_ of them missing?"

The woman laughed and James' mood seemed to brighten with the sound.

"Dionysus has yet to meet all his sons, but it is Sirius that I speak of now."

Dionysus shook his head, "Alright well that was vague." He rolled his eyes in an exaggerated expression. "What of Sirius? He's a good lad, can only seem to manage to transform into a dog, but the vines listen to him as if he spoke with my own voice."

"He is yet strong and quick thinking," Moira nodded, "and it is his destiny to venture on to Crete with my daughter and kill the Minotaur that does reside beneath the King's palace."

James spat out his wine. "He's got to what?"

Dionysus frowned at James, "That was an excellent batch that you just wasted."

"Forgive me, lord," James attempted to look penitent while his mind raced with what he'd heard.

Dionysus huffed and turned back to Moira, his whole demeanor changing.

"So, Fate has a daughter," he smirked, "Did my Lord Father finally get to you?"

Moira managed to look smug, "No, Zeus does not tempt Fate. Her sire is a mortal here in Dion."

"Ah, yes, of course. Mortals are such fun. I really do enjoy them heartily. Look at this beautiful mortal my son keeps!" Dionysus leered at James who rolled his eyes.

"He is not your son's beloved," Moira chuckled.

James felt his face turn flush at the implications. He looked to the distance, then at his feet, and _anywhere_ but into the faces of these two deities. Regardless of his avoidances, he felt the weight of Dionysus's arm draping over him.

"Oh really?" The god of wine's voice rang out playfully before he planted a smacking kiss on James's cheek.

Moira must have taken some pity upon James, as she turned to him and smiled. She looked at him intently for a moment.

"Sirius must go alone and you must remain in Dion. Your destiny awaits you." James wanted to object, but Fate had just told him to sit and stay, and he found himself powerless to argue.

"Moira, Sirius is a good lad; I don't want him to go to his death." Dionysus cut in. "I feel like I owe him more than this."

Moira smirked, a right sight for the woman who held the destiny of the world in her hand. "My daughter resembles me; I do not think your son will complain having to work with her."

Dionysus seemed to gain a level of understanding that had eluded James.

"You sly fox!" Dionysus embodied the paradox of impossible grace but not even a hint of equilibrium as he flung his arm over and off of James then onto the Lady of Fate as he laughed and handed Moira a goblet. "Tell me, has she brought home someone you can't stand? Or is Zeus going for the daughter since the mother is off limits?"

Moira accepted the goblet and James stared as the wine turned to water instantly.

"Spoilsport," Dionysus huffed.

Moira chuckled, "No, it's not your father but _her_ father that has caused a ruckus with all his good intentions. He's asked her to forsake her powers and marry a mortal of his choosing."

Dionysus shuddered, "Alright I'm in, we'll send them down to Athens and they can catch that ship King Minos sends every year, go kill the Minotaur, and spend eternity exploring each other."

Then he dropped his voice and leaned closer to Moira. "We could get an idea of what their lives will be you know?" Then he winked at her.

Moira smiled before handing him her goblet. "Though perhaps you are unafraid to tempt Fate, that which you seek shall not be yours on this night. I thank you though," she gestured to Dionysus's goblet, which now had a dark red, viscous liquid in it, darker than any wine James had ever seen.

Dionysus eyed it and before he could ask, she was gone. He brought the goblet to his lips and drank. James jumped as the god was knocked backward.

"Well turn me into a plant and fashion me into a head wreath… What a woman!" He coughed hoarsely.


	5. Chapter 5

Marlene sighed as she looked out the window. Growing up living under Zeus' palace had seemed normal enough as a child, but as Marlene grew to adulthood, she had come to realize how strange the experience really was. Marlene was surrounded by the gods of her world, and her perception of them had been shaped by her mother's. Zeus may have thought he was in charge, but **no one **went against Fate. The power of the gods was definitely great, but Marlene knew her mother always had the final word. It was rather odd to encounter Zeus after her mother had overruled him. He reminded Marlene of a sulking child on those occasions. So where most mortals cowered, Marlene looked on with a bit more realism. She was Moira's daughter and no mortal or god crossed Fate, or Fate's daughter for that matter.

That was part of what made her father's suggestion so difficult. Marlene genuinely loved who she was. The echo of the future was frustrating at times, but it also brought her so much joy. And being able to speak with her mother in that moment just ahead of now was so much easier than speaking. It was clearer and conveyed so much more than any language could ever hope to. She loved the little blessings of Fortune she could impart. And there seemed to Marlene a sense of compassion in her ability to curse. It gave a person a chance to change, her curses were a warning of what her mother could inflict permanently. But most of all, those powers felt as much a part of her as her right hand did. Marlene could not imagine her life without them. If only her mother would give her some insight into her destiny, some hint as to what she should do.

Marlene chuckled and looked up as her mother appeared in her chair. Her timing was always perfect.

"_You are needed." _Her mother's voice sounded.

"_For?"_

"_You are aware of the conflict between Athens and Minos; it is time for it to end." _

Marlene sighed. The conflict was ridiculous in her opinion, and Zeus was no help, egging on his halfling son, Minos, the King of Crete. Minos' heir, Andrgeous, had died in Athens, and no one besides her mother really knew what happened. But that didn't stop Zeus from sweeping in and inflicting a tax along with a yearly sacrifice of fourteen Athenian youths, feeding them to the Minotaur that lived in a maze under King Minos' palace.

"_What is my role?"_

"_To undermine the Minotaur."_

Marlene stared at her mother, "Excuse me?" She said aloud.

"_It is required of you."_

"_Is this my destiny? To die at the hands of the Minotaur?"_

"_I love you, Marlene, I do not wish to send you to your death."_

"_So I kill the beast?" _Marlene was incredulous.

"_You must find your destiny, and you can not run from it."_

"You're avoiding the question!" Marlene frustratedly switched back to speaking aloud. "You know I could say no? I could choose to be human and marry Giannis and be done with this!"

"I never said that you couldn't," Her mother nodded. "And do not pretend that choice is as easy as you claim. Are you willing to gamble your happiness?"

"Why should I care what happens between Athens and Crete?" Marlene sidestepped the question. She knew her mother was right, her happiness was as tied up in her powers as her isolation was. "It's not as though I'm involved!"

"You are not without compassion, I have raised you better." Moira sighed, her blue eyes holding Marlene's.

"_Marlene, I am asking you to trust me."_

"_I'm your daughter, your only child," _Marlene pleaded. _"Can you not give me more than the cryptic ramblings reserved for the masses?"_

Moira stood and a cloak appeared in her hands. _"No man or beast may remove this cloak from you. It is a tapestry that I wove for you. It holds within it the key to your destiny."_

Marlene stared at her mother as she took the cloak with trembling hands. With a deep breath, she unfurled the cloak and her heart fell at what she saw.

"_It is blank, Mother."_

Moira nodded, _"It will reveal itself to you at the proper time."_

Marlene sighed as she looked with disappointment at the cloak. She didn't want to do this, she wasn't a hero, she was the daughter of Fate. She wasn't Athena's daughter. What hope did she have against the Minotaur? But her mother had just given her what appeared to be an advantage. Perhaps her destiny was simply to start the process? Perhaps that's what her mother meant with her plea to trust her? Marlene sighed.

"_When do I leave?"_

Moira smiled, _"Tomorrow. I will arrange for you to ride with Helios as he pulls the Sun south toward Athens."_

Marlene wrapped the soft cloak around her shoulders. _"I better say goodbye to Father. I'll be back by sunset."_

Moira stepped forward and wrapped Marlene in a tight hug. "Please never doubt that I love you." She whispered aloud.

Marlene bit back the threatening tears and nodded. "I love you too, Mother."

* * *

"I don't like it, Marlene." Vassilis shook his head. "Your mother has no business putting you in such danger."

"Father, she asked me to trust her." Marlene pressed her palm to her forehead. "I don't think I'm going to my death, I don't think Mother would do that."

"Marlene, I don't want you going. You have an escape right here." He took her hand from across the table. "Choose to be human. Marry Giannis. Make your life easier."

Marlene sighed, "I don't know, Father."

"Marlene, please. I know what it's like to be in an unequal relationship. I loved your mother, and we tried to make it work, but it was too hard. It was too uneven. Remove that lodestone from your shoulders and allow your life some happiness."

"Did Mother tell you?" Marlene looked out the window. "Did she tell you your relationship wasn't going to last?"

Vassilis sighed, "She didn't. And I like to think it was because she did love me. I like to think she wanted to be wrong." He shook his head and ran a hand over his face. "Save yourself from your powers, Marlene. Give them up for your peace of mind. Give them up in exchange for a simpler life. A life where your foresight doesn't haunt you. A life where you can have an equal partner."

"You never found another companion," Marlene held her father's gaze.

Vassilis swallowed hard, "It was doomed from the start, but I have never found anyone who could compare to your mother. I take comfort that she hasn't moved on either." He shook his head. "Avoid our heartache, Marlene. Become human, marry an equal, and be happy."

Marlene looked down at her hands. "I'm going to at least start this."

Vassilis heaved a great sigh and hung his head. Then he stood and retrieved a bag from under a brick in the floor. "This is everything I have; combined with your mother's name it should be enough to bribe your way out and pay passage on a ship back home." He pressed the bag into her hands. "Come home to me, daughter, you are all I have left."

Marlene stood and tightly embraced her father, "I promise!" She choked back tears. "I promise I will return!"

He held her tightly before insisting that he walk her back to Mt. Olympus. Moira stood outside Zeus' palace, her black hair blowing like a banner behind her, her blue eyes glowing in the twilight.

"Vassilis," she smiled at Marlene's father. "It's good to see you."

"Moira," he returned her smile. "Have you been well?"

"As well as Fate allows," she nodded.

Vassilis took a deep breath, "Will she come home to us?"

"Changed, in ways that will be hard to accept," Moira answered cryptically.

Vassilis blanched, "Moira, she's all I have left."

And then much to Marlene's surprise, her mother took the two strides that separated them and hugged her father tightly. Vassilis instantly pulled her into him, and for a moment, Marlene saw what could have been. What sort of life she might have had if her father hadn't been human or her mother the Woman of Fate. And she realized her father had a point. Marlene did not want to live a tragic love story. She wanted a chance at happiness, a chance to love and be loved, a chance at what her parents could not have.

They pulled apart after a moment and Marlene could tell words had passed between them. But her father pulled her to him and held her close. "I love you, Marlene. With all my heart I love you."

Marlene swallowed hard, "I love you too, Father. And I promise I'll come back."

Vassilis gave her one final squeeze before releasing her. "Get some rest," he sighed, "and come home soon."

Marlene nodded and after a kiss upon her forehead, and one final longing look at her mother, Vassilis turned and headed back to Dion. Marlene watched him go until he was out of sight.

When Marlene turned to her mother, there were unshed tears standing in her eyes.

"It is a lonely work," she sighed and took Marlene's hand in hers before starting for their home.


	6. Chapter 6

"Wait a minute…I thought you'd brought me here to bring merriments to your cult! I was assured there would be merriment! I did not sign up for fighting any sort of…angry sounding... thing. I could have stayed with my mother and done plenty of that." Sirius stormed at his father.

"Yes merriment was the plan but son, the winds of fate are ever changing" Sirius saw a pointed look between his father the god and his friend the mortal. He didn't understand at all. "And as it is, you need to get dressed for travel. We're to meet Helios presently."

"...Helios? What's he got to do with anything?"

"Well, he'll be giving you a ride of course! He'd like people to think he's _sooo impressive _and ancient but really he's more or less a divine chauffeur." Dionysus looked around as if Helios might have overheard, "Don't tell him I said that."

"James, what do you have to say about all of this? You've been awfully quiet." Sirius held his friend's gaze, trying to convey the gravity of this whole thing, but James looked away, anxious and fidgeting.

Sirius thought perhaps being around gods was too much for pure mortals to tolerate for long. It was quite difficult enough for a Demigod. Or perhaps that was just a matter of Dionysus's personality.

"Well, you see… the thing about that is that James will be unable to accompany you on this journey. He's very," Dionysus paused, as if he was trying to think if the right word, "killable. The Minotaur would make an afternoon snack of him. He's too pretty to be a Minotaur's snack. I could maybe take just one tiny nibble myself but he doesn't seem so inclined…"

"So you're sending me to kill a man-eating beast?" Sirius' eyes widened. "You know the main advantage I have over James is that I can make vines grow? What am I going to do? Grape him to death? This is absurd, Father!"

"Sometimes absurdity is what Fate has in store for us, dear boy." Dionysus looked in another direction, the way a squirrel did every now and then. He'd had some sort of idea, and now he'd probably forgotten all about the fact he was sending his newfound son into a death trap.

"Oh! I know! James! I know! Come, lads, follow hence. I will talk and you will walk." Dionysus, inhumanly beautiful and powerful, was ...skipping? Sirius questioned the fabric of reality as he followed the pair of them through the doorway, and into the buzzing streets.

"Onward onward! We can't be late for Helios, but I have someone you just _have_ to meet. Where oh where… hmmm…" he looked around the crowded outdoor market, scanning through the various mortal faces and forms. His eyes stopped upon a woman with dark red hair. Hair that shouldn't have been able to grow out of a human head that color. Perhaps her head wasn't really human?

"Lily my love! Lily! Over here you must come hug your dear father, it's been too long, how are you?"

"Father! So glad you've returned to us at last, who are these charming young men you've got following you?" Her attention seemed fixed on James. "You always get all the really beautiful ones. It's unfair you know."

Even Sirius could see that the scowl on the girl's face was a mockery. ...had she called him _father_?

"Well these two aren't mine, I'll have you know. Or rather. This one" he put a hand atop Sirius's head in an absurd sort of gesture of indication "is your brother it turns out. So he is mine in a manner of speaking. Sirius, meet your sister Lily. She's half mortal as well. You'll get on like a lit fire when you get back from your whole beast slaying thing…"

"Lovely to meet you, sister. I do hope we meet again. I am afraid that my dearest friend is unable to accompany me, and will be rather bored here in Dion in the meantime." Sirius smirked, he knew that look in any being's eyes.

"Which is why I brought him here to you, my darling girl. James, my daughter Lily would be diverting company for you, I think. Lily?"

"I'd be happy to show you around…"

Sirius chuckled at the befuddled look upon James's face when Lily took his arm.

"Good luck?" James wrapped Sirius in a tight embrace. "Come back to me safe alright, Sirius?"

"Yes, yes… I'm sure I'll show the Minotaur who's boss and all, what with my fruit and dog-related supernatural powers. You have fun, friend. Drink and be merry and think of me?" Sirius attempted to smile and avoid the dreaded farewells. If he could pretend he'd be back then this would be much easier.

"I do believe your sister will give him much distraction." The god of revelry smirked at him as he led him further along down the way.

Sirius had to no idea where he was going nor did he have the foggiest notion of how he'd gotten there once he had, in fact, arrived.

But he was fairly certain the chariot in front of him belonged to the Sun god, Helios. There were others present who he hadn't expected, but he had to start getting used to the lack of expectations one needed to function around Dionysus. He was a lot of fun, but he was not much in the way of planning.

"Sooooo…" Dionysus trilled his vowel all over the musical scale. "Sirius, son, this is Lady Moira, she's pretty much in charge of how everyone lives their lives and how they die… so maybe be nice to her? Right." He clipped the final consonant and shifted his weight back to his heels then rocked to and fro, nodding as if this was all completely commonplace for him. "And this beautiful young woman, though a stranger to me, I am certain is her daughter?"

The pair of women—if you could call them that, as Moira was the least human-looking person he'd ever laid eyes on, and he'd spent a fortnight in the company of Dionysus—bore a strong resemblance. Their most striking feature was the vivid blue in their eyes, which stood out in contrast to the sandy brown of their skin and the pitch black of their hair. Their eyes were haunting, almost; if you could be haunting while also being stunningly beautiful.

"You are correct, my Lord Dionysus. This is my daughter Marlene. She'll be catching the same chariot with you to your destiny."

The most notable difference between mother and daughter on the surface was that Marlene's hair grew upwards and outwards in a mass of spirals. But upon a second glance, anyone would be able to see the rather more human qualities in the daughter which the mother was entirely lacking. Sirius had been met with a world full of beauty in these past weeks but Marlene, daughter of Fate, was perhaps the most magnetic of all the beautiful people he'd encountered.

Which made no sense at all in conjunction with the fact that he was annoyed that she was here at all...

"Moira is always going on about Destiny. I thought you two were headed to Athens to piss off King Minos… but in either case, good luck fair youths! We shall meet again. I'm sure of it! Oh! Sirius, my boy, here," he pulled a segment of grapevine from the air and fastened around Sirius' neck. "This will help, or at the least make you look fabulous, so good either way!"

Before Sirius could get a word out, Dionysus had thrown his arms around him. Then pressed a kiss atop his hair, as if he were a dog at this very moment which he was quite sure… well… fairly sure, that he was not. But that was just Dionysus, it seemed. He might not be particularly paternal, but he was a measure more pleasant than Mother.

"Until we meet again, father." Sirius embraced him.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: You should know that you're a beautiful human being with value beyond anything else in this world. :)**

Marlene chuckled at the shocked look on Sirius' face as his father disappeared.

"You think this funny?" He turned to glare at her. His eyes were grey, just like Dionysus, and his hair almost as black as hers.

"Yes, actually," Marlene laughed, "your dad is known for being funny and all…"

Moira smiled sympathetically at Sirius, "Your father means well, good Sirius. You and my daughter are to work together in this endeavor."

"Wait," Marlene turned with wide eyes. "I thought he was just riding to Athens."

"His destiny lies upon the same path as yours, my dear." Moira chuckled at her daughter.

"Looks like my parent isn't the only one with a sense of humor." Sirius chuckled as he climbed into the chariot.

"_Marlene," _her mother brought her arms around her.

"_Please, please tell me this is all going to be ok." _Marlene pleaded one last time.

"_You will see me again." _Moira squeezed her tightly.

"_I love you," _Marlene felt a tear escape down her cheek.

"_I love you,"_ her mother gently wiped the tear from her face, _"Now go."_

Marlene took one last look at her mother before turning and climbing into Helios' chariot.

Sirius turned to her as Helios gave her and her mother a cautious glance before taking flight.

Marlene beat him to his questions, "Yes we were speaking, no, it wasn't aloud, and I've only known about this task since yesterday." Her tone was bored.

Sirius stared at her, "And you can read minds as well?"

Marlene laughed incredulously at him. "No, don't you know anything?" She rolled her eyes. "I'm Fate's daughter! I can see a few moments into the future on more occasions than not."

Sirius groaned, "Great, not only do I get unceremoniously sent off to kill some man-eating beast, I'm saddled with a woman who's not quite Fate."

"And I'm saddled with a man who's just as insolent as the God of Wine." Marlene shook her head; two could play at this game.

"I'd like to think I have some of my father's better qualities. No mortal grows grapes and makes wine as well as I do." He smirked at her, "I can also shapeshift into a dog."

"Dionysus shapeshifts into a dog? This is news to me." Marlene stared Sirius down.

"Well no…" Sirius stammered, "But he could if he wanted to…"

"I was under the impression that he took the form of something rather more," Marlene smirked, "impressive."

"I see," Sirius grunted. "You wanted to do this mission alone, so you're trying to run me off by insulting me. That's fair, I could do the same. You have no idea what I may have inherited from my mother. I will tell you that it's nothing so merry as turning into a dog."

Marlene laughed loudly, "You flatter yourself. I could care less that you're coming along. And I know your mother is a mortal. I heard your father say so."

"A rightly vicious one too," Sirius bit back. "Scarier than Father, though perhaps less likely to send me off to a rather _disappointing fate_…"

"Are you suggesting that my powers disappoint in comparison to your… sometimes being susceptible to fleas?" Marlene stared at him in disbelief.

He smirked, "I don't think I _suggested_ anything at all."

"Careful, I'm enough of Fate to curse you." She gave him a sly smile. "Would you like to vomit every time you smelled wine? That ought to be a right laugh for one of the sons of Dionysus to not be able to stomach the grapes he so desperately clings to."

Sirius' grey eyes were calculating, but Marlene was taken aback that he showed no sign of fear. He was, annoyed… But he was not afraid of her. There were lesser _gods_ that feared her. But this demigod was simply bothered by her presence. Marlene felt like her world had been flipped upside down.

"As ridiculous as that would make me, I'm going to suggest you not do that. I don't know how far ahead you can see, but if I'm the God of Wine's son, I'm probably going to need to be able to prove that. Drinking mortals under the table is one of my many party tricks." He smirked at her and Marlene stared at how attractive the look was on his tan face.

"My curses only last till the sun goes down." She answered absently.

Sirius smiled then, and Marlene could finally see his heritage shine through, and it gave him a pull he hadn't had before. It made sense; Dionysus even smiled around her mother. Nothing dampened that god's enthusiasm. Sirius wasn't identical, but he'd put any human optimist to shame, she was sure.

He let out a breath as he looked off into the distance. He seemed like his mind was far away for just a moment. "I guess that wouldn't be so bad. Until today, since I found my father, it's been one long party. I could do with a break." He chuckled.

Marlene laughed in spite of herself. "You're as ridiculous as your father."

"Oh, so you're a friend of his?" Sirius lounged idly on the bench and gave her a knowing smirk. "How intimately do you know him?"

Marlene laughed at the absurdity of his suggestion. "Today is the first time I've seen your father, but I live in Zeus' palace and word gets around."

Marlene pushed her cloak back off her shoulders and smiled as she watched Sirius' eyes scan her shoulders twice. It was a strange feeling, to be with someone who did not fear her and was not her father or mother. Though one couldn't exactly say that he was friendly or pleasant company for her, she couldn't help but find him refreshing. He seemed fairly nonplussed by her? He was neither all that impressed nor terrified. That was… Different? Bizarre? Nice? She wasn't entirely sure yet.

"Ah, poor Father, his reputation precedes him." Sirius laughed.

Marlene watched as Sirius looked out over the land below them.

"We're almost there," she answered as he opened his mouth.

"I'm not going to lie, that's annoying." He frowned at her.

"Imagine living with it," Marlene shrugged.

"Can't you control it?" He waved a hand dramatically in the air and Marlene chuckled. The more she watched him, the more she could see the subtle signs of his father.

"So far, no, but I won't have to worry about it much longer. I'm going to find my destiny here and then I'm going to give this all up. My father has promised my hand in marriage to a lovely mortal man, and I plan to be mortal myself by the time we wed. I'm doing this for my mother, one last thing to help with the populous' feelings towards her." She sighed.

Sirius tilted his head at her, "I don't think I could do that. I've only known who my father was for the last few weeks, but I've always known that I had more sway with vines and whatnot. I don't much care to leave that behind."

Marlene was about to reply when Helios brought the chariot into a dive, setting them down just outside of Athens.

"We need to find lodging for tonight." Marlene started towards the city and its docks after they'd thanked Helios.

"When does our ride get here?" Sirius stepped next to her.

"Tomorrow at sunrise. Then it leaves sunrise the next day. It's a two-day journey before we make it to Crete. They send us down to the Minotaur whenever they're ready after that. Sometimes it's a week, sometimes it's that day."

"But you'll know beforehand?" Sirius was playing with the vine around his neck, making it grow and shrink as they walked.

Marlene sighed, "That is undetermined."

"I'm just going to go ahead and hope we get lucky." Sirius chuckled. "I really don't want this to be our doom."

Marlene nodded, "Me either."

It was quiet for a moment when Sirius groaned,

"This is so slow."

"Do you have a faster way?" Marlene rolled her eyes.

"Actually," he smirked at her before shimmering into a dog. The dog barked and then took off at a run.

Marlene shook her head, "Jackass."

She took her time after that to walk to the ocean's edge, stopping to lunch with a blind woman who invited her into her home. It was late in the day when she did arrive and found Sirius laying on the beach napping.

"Your father didn't give you any money did he?" She chuckled as he bolted awake.

Sirius yawned and stretched and looked mildly... adorable? "No, Father doesn't think very far ahead. Are you going to punish me for leaving you in the dust further by making me sleep outside and starve?"

Marlene sighed, "It's tempting, but as we're traveling together I suppose I'll relent and be the adult."

"Does that imply that I'm the child?" Sirius looked on incredulously.

"You're one of Dionysus's offspring, that's all the implication you need." Marlene rolled her eyes.

"_Really_? Just because I enjoy a good party? Or a good party enjoys _me_, more accurately. Either way, I'd think you'd be able to _see _more than that." He kicked sand at her.

"Come on, my charge," she kicked the sand back at him. "Let's get a room and a meal."

"How about a meal, then a room?" Sirius stepped up next to her and Marlene noticed how he towered over her. "I haven't had anything to drink since before the sun came up this morning."

Marlene shook her head, "Don't be a baby, we have Zeus for that."

"Zeus has been the source of numerous babies. Some of them he birthed himself, I hear!"

"You are causing me a headache comparable to the terrible pain that Zeus felt the moment before Athena emerged from his skull, a fully grown goddess in a suit of armor."

Sirius stared at her, "I'm waiting for you to be struck by lightning."

Marlene rolled her eyes, "Zeus knows better than to cross my mother. Now come on, the sooner we find a room the sooner you get that drink."

* * *

"Mine tastes better," he set his goblet down on the table. They had found an inn near the wharf and rented a room with two cots. "They didn't let the grapes ripen long enough."

"Riveting," Marlene shook her head and finished her last bite of food. "I'm going to our room. The ship normally arrives at sunrise so don't be late."

"You assume I'm going to find a party?" Sirius chuckled.

Marlene shrugged, "Isn't that what you do?"

"Amazingly enough," Sirius leaned back in his chair, "I do have more substance than all of that."

"Sure," Marlene rolled her eyes.

"You need the party more than I do, Miss Fate." He grinned at his play on words.

"We're both misfits," Marlene sighed, "in case you've forgotten who your father is already."

He laughed, "Alright, go be old and timeless and boring and sit in our room. I'm going to check in on Father's followers and be back later."

Marlene huffed but chose not to respond as she headed towards the stairs.

Sirius returned to the room a few hours later and was up before the sun with her. They stood on the dock as the black ship came into view.

"You didn't mention the ship was all black," Sirius commented as they watched it approach, eyeing the black sails.

"I'm not overly fond of it," she shrugged.

The ship finally docked and when the captain climbed down the gangplank, Marlene stepped in front of him.

"You will only collect 12 Athenians this trip," she stated calmly, bracing herself for his anger and then terror.

"I'll throw you in for fifteen if you're not careful, girl." He pushed past her.

Marlene grabbed his arm and held him in place. Being half divine had its perks. "Fate declares that two of your fourteen will be the Daughter of Moira and the Son if Dionysus. If you choose to disobey Fate, you will not see your home again. If you give me any more insult," she glared at him, "you will not see till the sun sets this day."

The fear in his eyes came quickly and Marlene steeled herself as he looked at her like she was the Minotaur. "Forgive me, Dreadful Daughter of Fate."

Marlene released him, "We will see you tomorrow at sunrise." And before she could lose her calm and stern exterior, she turned and walked away from the dock.

She was vaguely aware of Sirius following her.

"Be honest with me," he stepped next to her. "What would you do if I called you 'Dreadful Daughter'?"

Marlene sighed, "Feed you to the Minotaur?"

"I'm wounded!" Sirius threw his hands over his heart.

"You're ridiculous," she grumbled. She hated having to stand in for Fate that way. She hated having people look at her like she might bite them in two.

"So we have the day then?" He asked.

"Yes, we board the ship tomorrow." Marlene suppressed a shudder. "It's two day's journey to Crete. Then we're at the mercy of King Minos as to when we go to the maze. He might delay in an attempt to stop us."

Sirius groaned, "Then I'm going to enjoy some freedom today. I suggest you do the same. Sounds like this might be our last taste of it." He shimmered into a dog again and went running off, most likely to his father' cult.

As much as she didn't want to admit it, Sirius was probably right. And so Marlene did what she loved doing more than anything else, she went around blessing people. Children were her favorite, and it didn't take long until she was surrounded by little faces as she told stories and bought treats and caused Fortune to smile upon them all throughout the day. She wasn't sure how she was going to cope with losing this. She told herself that having her own children would fill the gap, but part of her knew it wouldn't.

The captain was the soul of courtesy as she and Sirius boarded the next morning, though he insisted on calling her 'Dreadful Daughter' which Sirius found hilarious.

She walked to the side of the boat and looked out at Athens as they sailed away. Her thoughts pulled back to a life without her powers, a life as a mortal when all of this was done. She felt that familiar isolation as Athens faded out of sight.

It was a little thing, but Sirius came to stand by her and for the briefest of moments, Marlene didn't feel completely alone.


	8. Chapter 8

"Booooooooored," Sirius sang in the most grating way that he could muster.

"Well, I'm terribly sorry that none of the rest of us feels like celebrating our imminent doom…" Marlene rolled her eyes at him as she examined her cloak.

"If we really knew we were doomed then what would be the purpose of being miserable?" He argued. "I'd much prefer celebrating. I'd much prefer anything to this, really."

Watching other people cry and be ill upon a boat was worse than boring. It was outright unpleasant. Sirius liked to think he saw the pleasantness in all situations whenever he could, but this whole thing was just a dearth of pleasing sights.

Marlene heaved a sigh, "I'm sure we'd all much prefer anybody to you, but here we are."

Except one. Marlene, daughter of Fate was an endlessly pleasing sight. He could have looked at her like one does a clear night sky. There was never a moment where you decided 'well I've seen this sky, that's quite enough.' Marlene only got more profoundly beautiful every time he looked at her.

He hated it and felt almost as sick as the poor idiot retching violently off the deck.

Marlene glared at him before standing and walking to the said retching young man. She placed a hand on his back and whispered in his ear. Much to Sirius' surprise, the man stood and looked like he hadn't just spent the last several hours vomiting over the side of the ship. But it struck Sirius that the lad also looked quite frightened of Marlene. That didn't make any sense.

Marlene walked back with a touch of sadness in her eyes.

"So you aren't so dreadful after all." Sirius taunted as she returned to sitting next to him and running her fingers over her cloak. "What'll the captain have to call you now?"

"I'd prefer he just refrain from calling upon me at all." Marlene pressed her palm to her forehead. "That poor boy was miserable, and it was in my power to help. So I did. Anyone would."

She was even worse when she went and said things like that. Sirius felt short of breath. He was dangerously close to actually admiring her. That would not _do_… not even a little bit. He could not let himself consider the content of her heart or her mind. It was hard enough to contend with the undeniable attraction to her more surface qualities.

Why couldn't she have been Hephaestion's daughter? Demigoddess of ugliness and also big hulking tools that could be used as weapons against the thing they were supposed to subdue. That would have been very helpful. How were they meant to do that anyway? She couldn't exactly kill a great horrible death-beast by being excessively beautiful.

"You're staring at me," she didn't even look over at him as she said it, and Sirius quickly looked away.

She might kill him in exactly that manner… Sirius felt like he would probably die. It was so unbelievably _embarrassing._ He didn't want to look at her. He didn't like her. He had no idea what good she was doing him on this whole quest and it was entirely possible she'd work against him rather than with him. It was more than a little inconvenient that he felt his stomach flip over upon itself every time she looked him in the eye. Her blue eyes could pin him against a wall if she'd wanted to.

He didn't know what to do. He never did. He'd almost certainly inherited his father's ineptitude in the way of planning.

All he could think to do was to antagonize her. It was weak, but it was his only shield against the flutters in his chest. If she hated him it would be easier to get a hold on this horribly ill-advised infatuation. Unfortunately, all his unpleasantness seemed to only make her bored with him.

Perhaps he could try something else. The first idea in his head was the first out of his mouth. That was usually the way of it, for Sirius.

"So your betrothed… you must miss him as much as I miss fun by now."

Marlene gave him a quizzical look. "I'm not yet well enough acquainted with him."

Sirius stared at her, "You mean you don't actually know the man you're supposed to marry?"

"Well, of course, I know him," Marlene rolled her eyes. "I've met him once, a week or so ago."

Sirius could not process what he had just heard. This was not what he intended to learn. No… this was bad and he immediately wished he hadn't asked. He'd expected to hear her gush on about some mortal she was in love with and for that to serve as some sort of reminder to him to stop staring at her like a hopeless puppy. He was a full grown dog dammit! Not a puppy. He had some dignity. Maybe.

Or not. He couldn't help but poke his cold wet nose at the metaphorical snake.

"Do you even know anything about what he's like, really?" He was genuinely perplexed as to why a woman like this would be so certain that she wanted to marry a man she'd met once. That in and of itself was strange but there was also the fact she was going to give up a part of who she was for this man? Why? Perhaps, either through her own powers or through her mother's telling, she knew this match was fated. That would explain it better than anything else Sirius could think of.

"He's handsome," she shrugged, "and he's kind. If memory serves me he makes and sells pottery."

"You sound in the throes of passion," Sirius drawled with a sort of sarcasm that he thought must have been proof of his mortal heritage. The god of revelry was unable to produce such bitter notes with his eerily melodic voice.

He smirked at the look of annoyance that crossed Marlene's face. He could comfort himself in the knowledge that his mother had never in her life been known to smirk. She didn't smile at all, really, at least not in Sirius's memory. This part of him was all Father.

"Have you become demigod of interrogations now?"

"No I don't actually _care_ or anything it's just that we're on this dreadful boring boat and I was trying to… you know… make conversation? Or is that beneath you what with all your foresight and all…"

Making petty low blows to her character was childish. But she'd already indicated that she thought he was childish and perhaps maximizing on that quality would be the thing to get under her skin. He had to create distance. Distance was the only way out of this. If he didn't get out of this he'd likely get eaten by a horrible beast thing because he would be busy staring moonstruck at the daughter of Fate.

"I'm not above conversation; I just don't appreciate having to prove to you my desire to marry." She glared at him.

Sirius felt some measure of pride that he was winning. "I'm not asking you to prove anything. I was just asking the normal questions one asks about another's betrothed. You know, normal things couples know about each other."

"Forgive me; I didn't realize that my attempt at _some semblance_ of a happy life was any of your concern." She looked away from him and out over the water, but she didn't leave.

Sirius's eyes followed her annoyingly perfect face as she turned. She looked troubled. Not angry, but sad and worried. He didn't know how to deal with those sorts of feelings. His usual strategy was to avoid them altogether, but he found himself unable to walk away from Marlene.

He cursed that fact and considered apologizing for his rudeness. Even though it had been entirely intentional, it hadn't been designed to make her _sad._ He couldn't bring himself to say the words though. They stalled inside his mouth and he swallowed them back down. Perhaps she really would hate him now. He sincerely hoped that he hadn't been the cause for lasting sadness in the Dreadfully Beautiful Daughter of Fate.

He was no better with silences than he was with sadness. It was so unnatural for a son of Dionysus. He asked himself what his father would say in this instance to lighten the mood and then let the words fall out of his mouth.

"Did you know that Apollo can turn into a dolphin?"

She sighed, "...no, I did not."

"Well, it's just that we're on a boat and it reminded me of the tale my Father told me about Apollo being in dolphin form and saving a ship from a terrible storm by leaping aboard and guiding the ship to shore."

"That sounds very... heroic…I suppose." She finally turned to look at him wearily.

"Rightly so," Sirius smirked, "but I have to wonder why he did the whole thing _as a dolphin."_

He saw the corners of her mouth turn up just a hair, and then watched the smile grow into a real sigh of laughter. Even her teeth were perfect. Her smile was as blindingly bright as the very sun that Helios chauffeured around. Sirius was sure he would get burned.


	9. Chapter 9

It would be her fate, the first person Marlene meets who isn't terrified of what she is would also be cantankerous towards her. What business did he have, asking after her betrothed? But as much as she tried to be angry at Sirius, she couldn't help but see where his comments were getting to the heart of everything. With Kyril, she'd have been able to answer all of Sirius' questions and go on for hours about him. She could have told him every little thing that endeared her to Kyril and the silly things that bothered her about him too. But those little things had been little. She'd have walked the Earth with Kyril until she found his arms around another woman. He had ultimately feared her too, she just hadn't seen it until it was too late. At least she knew Giannis feared her from the outset.

But she would be lying if she didn't admit that it killed her to think of a life of complacency. A life where she would be mortal and tolerating her circumstances made her chest ache and her breath come in gasps. But her feelings of isolation were no better. Thinking of spending her life completely alone brought tears to her eyes, and made her heart ache for those precious months where she thought Kyril loved her. And she couldn't help but wonder if maybe she had given up her powers he would have been faithful. If maybe then he could have truly loved her.

Giannis' face came to mind, specifically how his smile changed, and how much it had hurt when it did. His whole demeanor with her after discovering her parentage was cautious, and Marlene was scared it would always be so. She was unsure if she could be happy with a husband who feared her, whether that fear stemmed from her powers or from her mother. After all, the gods who feared Marlene feared her because of her mother, not really Marlene personally. The masses didn't distinguish, they all believed her to be the same person in essence. If the gods couldn't get past her mother, could Giannis?

Marlene noticed Sirius come back up on deck. He was taller than Giannis, and his face was softer, less angular. He had a lightness to him that Giannis lacked as well. His heritage was apparent in how he could always find a reason to laugh. And what was more, he didn't fear her.

Anyone else being treated to Sirius' childishness and attitude would probably have dismissed him and walked away. But Marlene couldn't. She couldn't get past that although he treated her poorly, he did not cower at her. He made her feel normal, something not even Kyril had managed to do. He was a thorn bush, but he was also the only shade Marlene had ever encountered in the desolate desert of isolation that was her life. And though she knew he hated her company, and she always came away with pricks from the sharpness of his tongue, the shaded comfort of knowing she wasn't entirely alone was more than worth the small moments of pain.

And it didn't hurt that, despite his obvious dislike, he looked at her like she was Helen of Troy. She'd grown used to it, her whole life had been that way, even as a very small child, but Sirius followed her every move, and he never seemed aware of the fact he was doing it. His eyes never carried that possessive quality she saw in most men. He watched her more out of devotion than desire. He seemed to find her captivating, and no one, mortal or divine, could deny the warmth that came from being so openly admired. She found her sight worked more easily around him as well, and she took a bit of childish joy in playing him like a lute. More than once since they'd landed at the outskirts of Athens had Marlene allowed Sirius to put his foot in his mouth, or do something ridiculous specifically so that she could laugh at him.

As if thinking about it triggered fate, her sight saw Sirius stare at her and walk directly into the main mast. The spectacle brought laughter bubbling out of her chest.

Sirius turned to look at her perplexed, "What, pray tell, is so terribly amusing?"

Marlene laughed harder as she saw it play out a second time. She briefly wished she could pull images from the past at will and replay them in her mind's eye. She could watch this for eternity and never tire of it.

Just as it had played out in her mind, it played out in front of her eyes; Sirius stared at her as she doubled over in laughter and allowed his feet to carry him right into the ship's mast, knocking him off balance and causing him to trip over himself onto the ship's deck.

Marlene was laughing so hard she could barely keep herself off the deck as she clung to the ship's railing. Sirius rubbed the side of his head that hit the mast as he sat up and glared at her.

"You knew!" The tone behind his accusation seemed more shocked than angry. "You knew and you deliberately didn't warn me just so you could get a laugh out of me looking like a fool!"

Marlene gasped for air, "You always look like a fool." She wiped her eyes and laughed as he stared at her. The feeling of it was almost familiar now. "After all, your father flails about with less grace than a sapling tree and moves more erratically than the leaves blown in the wind. The fruit does not grow far from its vine."

"You still deliberately manipulated me into walking face first into this damned pole!"

This time he seemed even less angry, and not even shocked but rather _impressed._ He was very clearly fighting back a smile. It was almost cute when he tried to be mad. Dionysus was incapable of holding grudges, and it was becoming apparent that no matter how much Sirius wanted to, he had too much of his father in him to stay mad at anyone for long. She rolled her eyes and still chuckling walked to where he sat on the deck.

"Are you hurt?" She knelt next to him.

"I'm half-god," he shook his head and gave her a half-hearted glare, "of course I'm fine!"

She'd never tried it before, but everything was worth a try once, and she felt she owed him something. These last couple days of feeling less isolated had been the most comfort she had felt in more than a decade.

Concentrating very hard she blessed him, and a goblet of wine appeared in her hand.

"Here," she handed it to him. "Drink it all before the sun goes down, it'll disappear at nightfall."

He took the goblet slowly and smelled it before bringing it to his lips. A slow smile crept onto his face. "You've been holding out on me? I knew you were more of a party goer then you let on!"

Marlene chuckled, "That's the first time I've ever tried it. Technically I blessed you, but I knew you would appreciate a more tangible object than a couple hours of good fortune."

Sirius looked dumbfounded.

"Don't waste that," she smiled at him, hoping maybe she had somehow thanked him for something he probably didn't even realize he was doing. Then she stood and walked back to where she had been sitting by the railing, watching the twilight sneak into the sky. One more day at sea till Crete, one step closer to destiny.


	10. Chapter 10

Sirius was quite sure by the last day at sea that Marlene didn't hate him. She wasn't going to hate him. He'd been as awful to her as he could stand and she still sought out his company whenever possible. It was strange, but it was a clear sign that his tactic had failed.

He wasn't over fond of losing, but who is really? He could dust himself off and find some other way to deal with his problems. Well… this problem. The problem being that she was graceful and charming to the point that he's made an idiot of himself more than once. Well… that was the beginning of the problem.

The problem was ever expanding. He would have to get it in check. There was no other way about it. That was just his fate…

He'd been in his own head, zoned out for too long. He was only vaguely aware that there was noise. He came to very quickly when Marlene shook one of his shoulders, repeating his name until he opened his eyes.

"You look like you had a close encounter with Medusa. What's wrong with you?" She looked concerned.

"Didn't really sleep. Something about the boat or perhaps the imminent doom." Sirius looked away, she really needed to stop looking at him like that; as if she genuinely cared about him. "I'm… not myself."

"You know we may not be doomed. We could take the beast down." She chuckled, "You could try to annoy it to death, and I can't say I'd bet against you."

The softening in her eyes as she spoke to him pulled him like a hook straight through his stupid heart. He had to fight the impulse to reach out and touch her. He knew he couldn't… it was idiotic to think of it. Even if he had to accept that he'd go into that maze, not with a clear head and an objective to get out alive, but with eyes full of stars and an aching heart, he still had to remind himself that he couldn't really let this happen. She was betrothed. She was meant for someone else. He wasn't supposed to fall for her.

"I'm going to be a dog now. I can't be a person."

Without ceremony, he turned into a dog to avoid the object of his affection. His father would be _so_ ashamed. But his father wasn't nearly human enough to feel like this. Which was an absurd thing for him to think while in a dog's body.

She stared at him in surprise, "Oh. I guess that's," she took a deep breath. "I'll leave you to it then?"

Before she left she knelt down and patted him on his head. This was extremely odd as he still had his usual mind, but was definitely being treated like a dog. A dog that she wanted to befriend, but still a dog. Perhaps that's sort of how she saw him all the time, so maybe he'd just need to get used to it.

"You make a very charming dog, you know." She smiled as she ruffled his ears. "Perhaps consider making the change permanent? I would feed you scraps from my table any day. I've always wanted a dog. I never thought of gaining a dog in quite this fashion, but I'm loathed to question Fate."

She'd never touched him when he was in a human body aside from gaining his attention moments ago, and that had been a shove more than anything, but apparently, she thought kissing the top of his shaggy black dog head was perfectly appropriate. Sirius was not sure how to feel and decided to reserve his judgment. He'd probably rather be her dog than forced to bid her farewell forever when she married what's-his-name.

Had she even told him his name? Did she know his name? Did he have a name? These were the questions that lingered with him as he curled up on the floor, which was somehow much more comfortable as a dog.

His hearing was quite sensitive in this form. He could hear Marlene as she attempted to speak with some of the tributes. She sounded… less alive somehow. The notes in her voice when she spoke to him sounded free flowing and easy, even if she was slinging insults at him.

With the tribute, on the upper deck, she spoke stiltedly, but with purpose. She was clearly forcing herself to endure this perfectly mundane-seeming interaction. He thought he heard trepidation underneath the layers of steely strength? Perhaps that was ascribing too much power to his dog hearing. He couldn't really know what she felt. He certainly hoped the inverse was also true. She needn't be subjected to that horrible storm of feelings.

It occurred to him that she didn't actually sound different with the tributes. He thought back on it carefully and concluded that she was like that with everyone he'd seen her interact with, save himself. He wasn't sure why. Was it a demigod thing? Or just a really strong affinity for dogs?

"Please," the tribute pleaded, "I'm sorry to have bothered you, Dreadful Daughter, please don't hurt me!"

Had the girl just assumed Marlene would hurt her? What a strange thought. Marlene didn't even have it in her character to really bite back at Sirius when he'd been as antagonistic as he could muster. How could anyone think she would cause harm to a distressed sounding stranger?

"I'm not going to hurt you. Tell me what's causing you such grief." Marlene's voice sounded so foreign to him. He was overcome by his own curiosity and decided he had to try to get a peek at this strange interaction. He got up on his four legs and made his way up to the upper deck.

"I do not want to die, Dreadful Daughter!" The girl wailed. "Please, _please_ change my fate!"

Sirius looked up in time to watch the girl flinch away as Marlene reached a gentle hand towards her. "Take comfort little sister, your fate is not yet known, but Fortune smiles upon you this hour." Marlene looked deep in thought for a moment and then he heard the voice of a woman singing.

"Mother?" The girl looked around her.

"It is only her voice, little sister," Marlene smiled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.

The girl closed her eyes then seemed to relax a little. When the song ended, Marlene patted the girl's arm and stood. Then she walked to the far end of the bow of the ship, the girl's still frightened eyes watching her all the way.

Sirius knew it was a dumb idea but it's not like that had ever stopped this son of Dionysus before, so he went ahead and shapeshifted back to his usual body. Marlene still hadn't seen him, up to that point, but she must have pulled her annoying foresight trick and turned around as he was approaching.

"I thought you were going to be a dog for a while?"

"Yeah. I was but…" he couldn't get the words out. He couldn't tell her that he'd been listening and he'd been watching in awe as she treated the terrified girl with kindness. He couldn't tell her a lot of things. That was just the way of it. "I guess I decided that I wanted company. Being a dog was boring."

"So you're here to regale me with more stories of the gods doing strange things?" Her eyes were dull, lacking the luster they usually carried.

"If you want?" Sirius came to rest his arms against the railing of the ship.

"You know," she smiled at him and it finally reached her eyes, "yeah. I do. Go on."

He had no control over the puppy-like excitement that she'd elicited with this response. He probably looked like a complete idiot, but for a moment he just let the warmth and happiness wash over him.

The Minotaur might not kill him, but he was so thoroughly doomed.


	11. Chapter 11

Marlene smiled as Sirius regaled her with stories of how ridiculous the gods really were. Maybe it had worked, maybe the wine from last night had softened his opinion of her? Or maybe he just felt sorry for her, sorry that everyone around them feared her but him. And at this point, she'd take it, whatever his reason. She'd take whatever he was willing to give because she was finding her only solace was in his company. Her isolation seemed to lessen when talking with Sirius. Her fears seemed less daunting knowing he was standing next to her. She was immensely grateful they were fated to this task together.

But he had been sort of off this morning. She had almost assumed that he was angry with her. Apparently not, as they had just spent the better part of an hour making fun of the gods. She'd even told a couple stories of the tantrums some of the gods threw when her mother had stepped in to tell them no. When he laughed he looked so much like Dionysus it made her look twice to ensure the father had not switched places with the son.

As Sirius began another tale, Marlene ran her hands over her cloak willing her destiny to appear. She did this so often now she was surprised the poor cloak wasn't unraveling.

Her foresight however showed her something very different than her own destiny. With horror she watched a sailor lash one of the tributes for having snuck food from their meal the night before. She turned quickly from Sirius and without explaining bolted for the main deck, where her hands grabbed hold of the sailors arm before the whip could fly. Her strength held his arm still, and her foresight warned her of his flying fist before it could harm her.

She'd seen enough.

"How dare you!" She shoved the sailor to the ground. "The poor thing was hungry! You see fit to feed your prisoners once a day and yet you feign surprise when they attempt to maintain nourishment while in your custody?"

The sailor cowered before her looking much like the tribute had moments ago. Marlene hated this. She hated being feared. She hated that this was her fate.

"A kindness I bless you with this day, sailor." She held herself erect. She could collapse under the weight later. "Today, you learn compassion. Until the sun sets this day, you can eat every scrap of food in the ship's galley, yet you will feel the same hunger of your victim. Gorge yourself on whatever you like, there will be no sustenance for you this day."

She turned and began walking back to where she'd been with Sirius. One of the cabin boys quickly moved away from her, but tripped in his haste and turned to stare up at her with fear in his eyes. It felt like being stabbed in the heart to stare into that young face full of terror.

She knelt next to boy and smiled as she helped him to stand. "For you little brother," and she pointed to compass on the deck next to him.

"Father's compass!" He exclaimed stooping to pick it up.

"Sometimes that which is thought lost is merely misplaced until such time that we need it." Marlene smiled at the lad. He still was very guarded but he was happy, and Marlene had learned a long while ago to settle for what she could get. She turned and went back to her corner with Sirius.

"So you don't get much of a warning then, do you?" He asked as she sat next to him again.

Marlene sighed wearily. He was the most oblivious person she'd ever had cause to meet. "Not really, actually I get the most advanced notice when it involves you so far. For everyone else it's seconds, I tend to get a good minute when it comes to you."

Sirius hummed, "Any ideas why?"

Marlene looked out over the ocean, contemplating whether she wanted to tell him just yet that his lack of terror towards her had made him the person she could relax the most around. She sighed as she decided _she_ wasn't even ready to really think about it herself.

"I would guess it has to do with us working together to kill the Minotaur."

Sirius sighed, "Right."

It was quiet for a long moment before Marlene finally spoke. "So, you were about to tell me the love story of Ixion and his cloud."

Sirius smiled, and for a little while, it felt like it was just the two of them.

When their meal was served, Marlene chuckled at how the portions had been increased. And as she and Sirius took to their cell, for the captain feared to place her and Sirius with the rest of the tributes lest they organize and mutiny, she smiled over at him. Today had been one of her better days. Even with having to curse the sailor and make a show of it and Sirius being strange that morning, Marlene had laughed more today than she had in years. She had felt light and secure. She'd been happy today, and she knew it was because of Sirius' company. She hoped he would remain her friend when this was done, she was genuinely fond of her thorn bush in the desert.

Thoughts of when this was finished brought images of Giannis to mind and that familiar ache in her chest. She tried to push them away by thinking of the look of happiness on the cabin boy's face that had so warmed her heart, even if he still was terrified of what she represented. Marlene sighed, it didn't work. His face returned to haunt her.

She knew so little about Giannis, but she did know he didn't make her laugh. He didn't make her feel light. And he would probably forever look at her with haunted eyes and an altered smile. He could have any mortal woman, but he was a man of his word and was willing to see this through. Marlene was acutely aware that she was still very torn about it all. Each day she thought about a life without her powers brought a sharper ache and a more gripping panic into her chest. But those were thoughts for later, after this task was completed. For tonight, she tried to push them away and sleep. In the morning they'd make port in Crete.


	12. Chapter 12

It had been dark out for quite a while. Sirius thought everyone had fallen asleep. It was fairly pitiful to sleep on the floor of a ship, but it wasn't as bad as being eaten by a Minotaur which was also part of the usual routine with these things. So no one really took issue with the floor.

He'd been trying and failing to sleep when he heard his cellmate gasping, afraid. He opened his eyes and got his bearings on his surroundings while his eyes adjusted to the near total darkness. Marlene slept near the wall and she looked like she was still asleep but restless and in pain. He hoped that whatever horrible dream she was having was not prophetic.

He couldn't bring himself to let her continue suffering. He cringed at himself and his horrible growing attachment. He didn't want to _care _so damned much about how she felt or what she thought, but he was powerless to stop.

He approached her very quietly and knelt down by her side.

"Marlene," he whispered. She didn't wake. He cursed his stupid heart as he reached out and touched her shoulder to get her attention. "Marlene wake up. You're having a nightmare," he raised the volume of his voice just a fraction.

She gasped sharply one last time as she opened her eyes. Those blue eyes that had turned him into a bumbling idiot who sometimes walks into poles looked right at him in shock.

"Oh. Sirius. Did I… did I wake you or...?" She pushed up to sitting pulling her cloak tightly around her. "I'm sorry. You can go back to sleep now."

"You didn't wake me. I woke you." He huffed as he ignored his better judgement and sat next to her. "I was awake, and I was not keen on letting you suffer in your sleep."

"Oh," her voice was soft, but he could hear her confusion. "Well, I, thank you. I'll be alright, now."

"You don't seem alright, Marlene." Sirius cursed himself. He was powerless to stop his downward spiral with this woman now that he'd let himself start caring. "Do you want to talk about it? I am… capable of listening… I'll have you know." He added the last part with a forced laugh, trying to remove any of the tension that he could.

"You," she chuckled and pushed her head back into the wall behind her, "Really?"

"I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear the shock in your voice." Sirius couldn't help but smile. Everything about her endeared her all the more to him, even her poor judgments of his character. "Really. Is it the impending doom or something else?" Sirius tried to get more comfortable on the floor, but only managed to scoot closer to Marlene.

"It's," she closed her eyes a moment. "Maybe it would be easier if I am doomed." She shook her head and gave a hollow sounding laugh. "I don't want to die, and you can rest assured that I'll do everything I can to avoid it. It's just," she pressed a palm to her forehead. "I have no idea how I'm going to proceed with my life if I am indeed alive at the end of this."

"Oh?" Sirius tried to sound casual, "I thought you had some sort of destiny in store?"

"Destiny," Marlene spat. "Lately the word makes my stomach turn. My mother only tells me how important it is that I find my destiny and is seldom any help to me in clarifying what exactly that is. My father thinks the answer is to leave it all behind, but it's hard to know if becoming mortal will really solve my problems or make them worse. I don't want to be reviled by everyone around me and also bitter about losing a large part of who I am."

"Why would you be reviled? I don't understand." Sirius stared at her with a furrowed brow. How could anyone not find this woman captivating?

"You don't understand." She said it slowly, holding out each word, before she laughed bitterly. "Of course. Because you're one of only a handful of people who don't fear me because of the who I am. _Dreadful Daughter of Fate,_ as the captain addresses me, is an identity I've carried my whole life. Even as a small child I was feared. Being the daughter of Moira comes with all the tales of the terrified. You're also one of the most oblivious people I've ever had instance to meet. So you didn't notice, you don't notice, you don't allow my mother or my powers to frighten or intimidate you." She turned to look at him. "That has actually been a welcome change from the norm, so thank you."

"For being oblivious?" Sirius chuckled nervously. "Sure… uh… anytime."

"My father and mother both mean well," Marlene continued after a quiet moment. "But neither of them really understand what it's like to have a foot in both worlds and be looked upon with suspicions on both sides."

"I'm sorry… suspicion? That's bizarre. Do any of these people bother to pay attention at all?" Sirius felt blindsided by all this. She'd called him oblivious, but he was fairly certain it was _everyone else_ who was oblivious in this instance. "You're actually pretty astoundingly un-dreadful … or is it dreadless? Can something be dreadless? Sorry… uh… whatever... you lack the qualities which inspire dread." Sirius was glad that it was dark because he could feel his face burning. But he couldn't help but feel grateful for his own idiocy, because Marlene's soft laughter was like music to his ears.

"Sirius, what changed?" She looked up at him. "You've been horribly annoying and childish, going so far on occasion to be spiteful against me. Yet here you sit, listening to my problems as though you are my friend?"

"Perhaps you've grown on me." He whispered quietly before mentally smacking himself. But the damage was done so he plowed on. "Or perhaps I'm just not as terrible a person as you thought. I know there are similarities but I'm not my father. I'm fun at parties and I'm terrible at making plans, but I'm not entirely callous and hedonistic."

"I'm sorry." She looked distraught as she said it. "You're right. I've assumed too much about you just based on your father. I've done to you exactly what everyone has done to me and I have no excuse. You aren't him. I should have approached you that way from the outset." Then she chuckled. "For one thing, you can only turn into a dog."

"Rude!" Sirius couldn't stop the laugh that escaped him. "I thought you were of the opinion that I'm a charming dog?"

"I am." She rested her head on his shoulder and Sirius' stomach did a flip. "I was teasing. You're a very adorable dog and I will not even pretend otherwise."

Sirius attempted to keep the tremor from his voice as he tried to work his way out of this with humor. "That implies that I'm less adorable when I'm a person, therefore I am horribly wounded."

"Only very slightly less adorable," He could practically hear the soft smile in her voice.

He had expected that she would continue joking at his expense. Her actual response had pushed him to the very peak of embarrassment. If she hadn't been promised to another man he'd have jumped on board with flirting and innuendo. He was the son of bloody Dionysus. He could have been exceedingly charming, if he had been in a position to try. But it was probably also a disadvantage that she wasn't just anyone he'd met in passing at some party. He was, despite every attempt to deny it, falling fast in love with this woman. So it may well have been that he'd be rendered a blundering mess with words even if she'd been unattached.

After what was probably way too long a pause, he opened his mouth and mumbled "I um… better go get some sleep…big day tomorrow."

He started to make a move to get up, but she stopped him by grabbing his hand. He felt his heart drop to his stomach. The whole thing felt like a very strange sort of torture.

"Please stay." Her voice was small and there was an edge of panic in it that pulled at his heart. "I don't want to be alone. I'm really glad I'm not doing any of this alone."

He sighed and accepted that he was probably going to die from the horrible aching in his chest before the Minotaur got to him, but he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Yeah, me too."

Without any further words he pushed the two of them out from against the wall, and lay back on the floor, with Marlene's head on his chest.

He wanted to kiss her with every fiber of his being. It was near torturous to restrain himself. Ultimately he decided that since she'd kissed the top of his head (though he'd been a dog at the time) it wouldn't be _too_ horrible to offer her the same affection. It could be written off as a comforting gesture… surely?

He'd been certain that he wouldn't sleep at all with the woman who was stressing his heart lying against him, but somehow he found himself drifting off as he listened to Marlene's breaths becoming slow and even.


	13. Chapter 13

Marlene awoke with Sirius' arms wrapped tightly around her, and a soft smile crossed her face as she sighed contentedly. She hadn't been this happy since…

Marlene felt her heart rate increase and the familiar closing of her throat that came with her feelings of panic. She hadn't felt like this since she was last in love. Finally, everything fell into place. She was more comfortable around him not simply because he didn't fear her, but because she was falling for him. She took comfort in his presence because of how she felt about him, not simply because he was not repulsed by her. Interestingly enough, her powers had never flowed as easily when she loved Kyril as they did currently with Sirius, though she couldn't bring herself to consider this might be love.

She was supposed to marry Giannis. She was supposed to finish this task, choose to be human, and then marry a mortal and fix all her problems. She wasn't supposed to fall in love with an equal. In the mortal world, she was already betrothed by her father's word. In the world of the gods, well, Hades and Persephone were the best examples of commitment they had, Zeus was their polar opposite, and everyone else fell somewhere in between. So if she wanted to choose her mother's world she could pull just about any example she wanted to justify her actions. But did she want to?

Marlene's father was so certain that she would be happier without the added pressure of being a demi-fate. He was positive that she would have a good life with Giannis. But Marlene couldn't deny that she had felt uneasy about the prospect of becoming human since her father had brought it up. And now that she knew she could feel at ease in the arms of an equal, well, now she was even more torn about becoming human. Her father had already promised her though. Was she willing to let him down?

She realized that those questions really didn't matter because he probably didn't reciprocate her feelings. The children of Dionysus were just as physical as their father, throwing their arms around everyone and anyone, kissing whatever cheek presented itself in the moment, the fact that Sirius had willingly laid with her as they slept was scant indication of any sort of more-than-friendly feelings. He was fated to kill the Minotaur with her, not to love her.

Sirius stirred and for a moment he pulled her closer and all her concerns seemed to briefly float away. He ran a hand over her spirals of black curls and trailed it down her arm. He kissed her head again, and Marlene almost turned her face up, just to see what it would feel like to kiss him, just to see if he would kiss her back, but she prudently decided against that level of embarrassment. They had a task to complete, and if she made it awkward now, she might also create a situation where not only she and Sirius died, but all those poor tributes as well. It was best to keep things professional, to remain in their good-natured realm of teasing and making fun of the gods. Within that realm they could both keep a clear head, they could probably make it out of this alive in that realm. So Marlene pretended to stir and turned to smile up at Sirius.

"Good morning," she chuckled as he yawned through his response.

"Good morning," he stretched and pushed the two of them up to sitting.

Marlene, now keenly aware of her feelings, was also suddenly aware of the way Sirius's muscles pulled under his skin. The fringe of his hair fell into his face making his eyes seem darker somehow. His smile acted as a balancing counterweight by bringing a glimmer of light to his eyes that drew her in towards him with a powerful force. She had to focus very hard on not succumbing to the tug of his eyes.

"We'll make port in Crete within the hour," she forced herself to start talking about their task. She needed to think of almost anything other than how attractive the demi-god before her really was when she allowed herself to notice.

"Destiny calls," he teased her and Marlene couldn't help but laugh at him.

"Let's hope our fates are happy ones," she laid her head on his shoulder and chose to just enjoy that for the moment there was no beast to kill, there was no destiny waiting for them, there was only them.

Their cell lock rattled and Sirius jumped back from her and Marlene sighed as she stood, it was time to take the next step in their task.

The port at Crete was filled with people, eager to see the tributes for the Minotaur. People made Marlene's stomach turn some days. She spotted King Minos and suddenly her foresight kicked in. She turned sharply to Sirius, who stood by her side.

"King Minos is there and he is going to do everything in his power to keep us from joining the other tributes, whatever you do, do not yield."

Sirius looked down at the King critically as the sailors secured the ship. "Has Minos ever met my father?"

Marlene shook her head, "Not that I'm aware of, why?"

Sirius smirked, "Watch and learn Miss Fate, Minos is about to find out the wine tastes as good as the grapes."

Marlene wanted to say more, but just then the sailors were shoving the tributes towards the gangplank to be presented to King Minos.

King Minos looked at the Athenian tributes with a satisfaction that made Marlene want to smack him across the face, but she was pleased to see the fear that crossed his face as his eyes beheld her.

"What is the meaning of this!" he demanded of the captain. "I will not be sending Moira down to the beast! What idiots are you to have brought Fate from Athens as tribute!"

The captain began to stammer, and as Marlene was just about to respond, Sirius threw a friendly arm around Minos.

"Minos! My dear dear King Minos. You _really_ need to make it up to your father's place more often. Didn't you know that sweet old Fate went and found herself a luscious mortal? This pretty thing..." he reached out and pulled at one of Marlene's spiral curls, then released it so it would spring back for effect. He was playing his father to the tee. "is her daughter Marlene." Sirius made grapes grow on his necklace in a matter of seconds and pulled a bunch from it, handing it to Minos. "I'm Sirius, one of the many sons of Dionysus, by the way."

Minos looked like he had just been smacked across the face. "I don't understand, why are you here?"

Marlene gave Minos a stare that was as close to her mother's penetrating glare as she could muster. "Your games are finished. Fate has spoken, it is time to end this ridiculous sacrifice."

Minos sputtered, "My father supports this justice for my dead son!"

Marlene gave him a cold laugh, "Your father bows to my mother as we all do. The conflict between your two kingdoms is finished."

Minos was as crafty as Zeus, "Fine, give me these twelve and you and the son of Dionysus can return to Mt. Olympus assured that they will be the last."

"Do not lie to me," Marlene said in a deadly quiet voice. "If you will attempt to undermine Fate, then you will lose more than just this ridiculous display of cruelty."

Sirius sighed, "Now why did you have to go and do that?" He gave Minos's shoulder a shove, then popped a grape in his mouth. "She's a right ray of sunshine little Fate is, until you make her angry - then she's as scary as her mother." Then he leered at Minos, "Me on the other hand, I'm ever so forgiving. Unless you'd prefer to be put in your place? I wouldn't mind telling you how very naughty you've been, King Minos." He kissed Minos on the cheek and Marlene had to use every divine level of self-control she had to not start laughing right there.

"The Book of Fate declares it, and it is the task of Sirius, son of Dionysus, and myself, the daughter of Moira, to end your pettiness, in _whatever_ way may prove _necessary_." She left the threat hanging in the air as she stared Minos down and Sirius popped another grape in his mouth before discarding another bunch on Minos' shoulder.

"Well," Sirius yawned before speaking almost as fast as his father. "I don't know about the rest of them, but the floor of that ship was _so_ uncomfortable, and I certainly hope your accommodations will be better. Maybe I should have tried to sleep in the form of a dog, have you noticed that dogs seem perfectly comfortable to sleep on the floor? Do you have dogs, Minos? They've always seemed like nice creatures to me, though father always favors the Bull. I suppose that's why Fate sent me, don't you think? Do you have any wine by chance? That seems to be the only thing I can't do, I can't manage to pull wine out of thin air, but I'm sure you can't throw lightning bolts, we all lose a bit to our mortal nature, don't we? Take little Miss Fate, she's got a temper." Sirius took an enormous breath and paused. King Minos looked completely flabbergasted.

"We'll talk of this more," he looked directly at Marlene. Then he spun on his heels and stalked away.

Sirius fell into step next to Marlene as Minos' soldiers marched them to the dungeons to await their fate.

"You were amazing!" She reached out and took his hand. "I could kiss you!"

"Don't do that! I just put in way too much effort to paint you as your mother with a temper! You kiss me in front of all these people and all that effort will be wasted!" Sirius laughed but didn't release her hand. Marlene rather liked holding his hand.

"I'll play my part if you keep playing yours." She reached up to his neck and plucked a few grapes. "Because he's not going to let this go so easily."

Sirius gave her hand a half-hearted smack away from the grapes hanging from his neck. "Hey, those are part of my aesthetic!"

Marlene chuckled, "Careful, Fate's daughter has a temper."

Sirius winked down at her, "That's ok, she got me a goblet of wine the other night, I think I'm on her good side."

Marlene laughed, he definitely was on her good side.


	14. Chapter 14

Minos had the two half-deities celled separately from the 12 mortal tributes. The cell was small and dark, but there were cots at least. Sirius wondered if the show he'd put on was to thank for that.

Marlene led him by the hand to sit down with her on one of the cots. He was certain that she hadn't touched him this much the day before. Part of him savored every little touch, but the overwhelming fear that he would cross a line he couldn't uncross was not particularly pleasant.

The whole painful experience was made more confusing by the fact that she'd started to act the way she had. He wasn't sure he could let himself believe she was flirting. Perhaps she was just affectionate with him because he didn't fear her, and she'd made it clear that wasn't something that she had encountered often. That didn't mean she had real feelings for him. It certainly didn't mean that she wasn't betrothed to another man.

He stopped himself in his thoughts when he started rationalizing that she _didn't even know the man_. It was pointless to go down that road. Besides. They had a job to do.

"So," he ran his thumb along the back of her hand, "as much fun as giving Minos a headache was, I don't think I can _actually_ annoy the Minotaur to death."

"No? Do you think you might try getting it drunk? Flirting with it? Teaching it to dance?" He was almost sure she was toying with him. The way she bit down on her lower lip was incredibly distracting.

_Focus_.

"Charming." He rolled his eyes, though the mental image of an inebriated dancing Minotaur was undeniably amusing. "You know that I was earnestly trying to think of a way my abilities might be useful?"

"Did you have any ideas?" She took his other hand in hers. Then she scooted in closer to him, face to face. His breath caught in his chest. He had focus hard and concentrate on the task at hand. Under no circumstances could he look into her eyes. So he looked down at their intertwined hands. That was barely an improvement at all.

"So dogs are used to track beasts. That's something. I could use my dog nose to help."

"You know," he could hear the smile on her voice, "you could. That's clever."

"You sound shocked. So rude, honestly!" He smirked and made the mistake of looking up at her. But Fate had smiled upon him because she had thrown her head back to laugh at him.

"I'm not shocked that you're clever. I'm shocked that you intend to have a plan. I thought you were allergic."

"Desperate times."Sirius chuckled, "Don't rat me out to my father."

"If you don't tell my mother that I've never felt so unsure of my own destiny as right now." Her voice went hollow. This fear was sucking the light out of her and Sirius hated it. He had no idea what he could do to help but he didn't have it in himself to refrain from trying.

He reached out and brushed his hand over her cheek. "Marlene…I don't know your destiny any more than the guard outside, but I really hope it's something good. You deserve something good."

"You actually did inherit your father's better qualities you know." She ran her fingers along his and Sirius felt it like an electric shock to his heart. "You're kinder than I gave you credit for, at first."

"I can be annoying and childish if it'd be a comfort to you?" He made a stab at humor, it was the only distance he could bring himself to accept at this point.

"You're ridiculous." She laughed at him. "Tell me a story. That would be a comfort right now."

Marlene shifted her position on the little cot to lying down. A little tilt of her head and gentle pull on his fingers was all it took to convince Sirius to do the same. This was getting incredibly dangerous, but he couldn't bring himself to put distance between them. He wanted to be close to her, even if it hurt.

She settled in against his chest, just as she had slept the night before. And Sirius forced himself to talk, because if he didn't talk he was going to kiss her.

"Well do you know how Zeus ended up married to Hera?" He trailed gentle touches along her back while he spoke, keeping his eyes on her shoulder.

"I don't," her voice was quiet now. "Did someone trick Zeus into thinking he was attending a conception party?"

"No," Sirius chuckled, his voice matching hers, "but that does sound like a party he'd attend. Or rather, it sounds like a party he'd _host_."

"Who exactly would accept such an invitation?" Marlene laughed, sliding her hands along his chest, "Surely not Hera."

"Not at all. But he did actually pursue Hera. Zeus begged her to be his wife and queen for hundreds of years and she always said no."

Her hand found its way up to his hair. She ran her fingers carelessly through his dark waves. He felt like he was losing his mind and if he didn't know better he'd say she was enjoying having this effect upon him.

"That was very rational of her. What changed?" Her voice gave away nothing. He wondered how much of this building tension between them was a product of his imagination? All of it, perhaps? Was this a dream?

"Zeus. He changed himself into a bird," Marlene's giggles made his heart jump. He couldn't help but laugh along with her as he continued the story, "a very pathetic drowning bird, specifically. She fell in love with the sad little bird. Once Hera was smitten, he transformed back to his usual Zeus shape and she agreed to marry him."

"The overarching theme in the Zeus stories is that he's a more attractive romantic prospect when he appears to be some sort of animal." She laughed harder. "I don't know how to feel about this."

He let himself get distracted by the laughter they were sharing, and he made a fatal mistake. He found himself looking straight into her eyes. Her smile shined through in those incredible bright blue eyes. She was magnetic and he was weak. His lips came down to meet hers and his mind went blank for a moment. He was void of thoughts and overflowing with feeling. Her perfect soft lips were pliant under him at first, then she was kissing back with an almost desperate hunger.

Suddenly thought came pouring back into his mind like Poseidon's most wrathful storm. He pulled away and gasped in too much air all at once.

"I'm sorry. I'm… sorry... You're to be married to someone else and I… shouldn't have… done that...I'm sorry." He couldn't look at her. He really wished his father had taught him how to disappear.

She said nothing in response but reached up to his face, and pulled him back in, kissing him with a fervor that had to mean _something_. Perhaps it was doomed not to last but he had to have been destined to kiss this woman without reservation this once. They felt too right together for him to believe this moment was anything other than his fate.


	15. Chapter 15

Marlene knew she shouldn't be kissing him, but she couldn't bring herself to care as his hand gripped her waist and his tongue ran across her bottom lip. She wasn't sure if this was a part of their fate, but she desperately wanted it to be. Suddenly her mind was flooded with possibilities of _them_. A life of both her powers and happiness because she had Sirius. And he only reinforced these feelings with his remorse when he brought his lips to hers. She wasn't some plaything to him, Marlene was sure of that. But all of these thoughts seemed immensely unimportant as Sirius' lips caressed her.

She was content to lay with him for eternity on that cot, but the cell lock rattled and Sirius bolted upright, bringing her with him, just before the guard entered.

"You've been summoned by His Majesty," the guard looked fearfully at Marlene.

She bit back her unhappy and conflicted feelings on being interrupted and assumed the character Sirius had worked to build for her.

"_We_ will oblige him, but he will not find what he seeks in this meeting." She put added emphasis on the word 'we'. She wanted it very clear that she and Sirius were a package deal. The guard seemed to catch the edge in her voice and nodded to Sirius.

The walk back up to Minos' main throne room was long and gave Marlene far too much time to think about what had just happened.

She had been shameless in her flirting leading up to Sirius kissing her, mostly to try and figure out where his feelings had been. Marlene smirked to herself, he had made that relatively clear. But now that she knew he cared for her as she did for him, there were decisions she had to make.

Sirius obviously had feelings for her, but they had known each other a grand total of five days. To be fair, they had spent almost every waking moment of three of those days together, and she'd confided in him things she'd not even told her parents, but they hadn't spent all that much time together. There was no guarantee that if they pursued a relationship after this they wouldn't tire of each other a month into it. She barely knew him.

_You know him better than you know Giannis._ A part of her argued. Sure Giannis was a guarantee of stability, but she'd spent all of four hours with him. Suddenly Sirius seemed less of a wild card. He didn't fear her. He was already her equal, she would give up nothing to be with him. And she indulged in admitting that the demi-god could _kiss_. But she would still be Fate's daughter with him, in that her mother could still pull these stunts, like sending her to kill the Minotaur with another halfling. Giannis was an escape from all that. Giannis was her choosing to be human. Sirius was her choosing to be an instrument of Fate. Did she really want to be that? Considering where it had got her thus far?

Her internal struggle was cut short as the guard opened the door to Minos' throne room and marched them in. If Minos had been hoping to only see her, he didn't let it show on his face. Instead, he turned to a servant.

"Chairs, for our guests," he smiled at Marlene and she wished her foresight would kick in. As if wishing were all it took, suddenly she saw herself and Sirius bound in their chairs heading back to Athens.

"How dare you?!" She thundered. Well, Sirius did tell him she had a temper. She turned to the chairs being carried over and concentrated. If this didn't work she'd just berate Minos. If it did work, then hopefully he would take them seriously. It took a great deal of effort, but both chairs splintered under her gaze. Marlene smirked, she could get used to this level of control over her powers.

She turned back to Minos who gaped at her. "You are too weak to deceive Fate, Minos!"

Sirius sighed and began tossing bunches of grapes at random people in the throne room as if he was bestowing blessings himself. "I did try to warn you, Minnie." He tutted. "You had to go and make her mad, didn't you? Now she'll be a right terror to you. What were you planning? No sense in lying my pet, she already knows."

Minos sputtered, "I, I, I only wanted to speak with you!" He insisted.

"One more lie Minos," Marlene stared him down, "one more, and you will spend this day a leper, so as to let your Kingdom know the true nature of your mind."

Minos choose to set the issue aside and try a new tactic. "I do not wish you to die at the hands of the Minotaur. Please, for your safety, return to Olympus."

"That's sweet of you, pet," Sirius walked up to some poor noble and took the man's goblet from his hands before taking a long drink. He grimaced and turned to Minos. "You drink this? Maybe you are as crazy as Miss Fate says, this is awful! Maybe after we kill your toy I'll teach you how to care for grapes, pet, because this won't do."

"It is written in the Book of Fate that we will enter the maze with the twelve mortals." Marlene had tired of these games. If Zeus was this bad she had no idea how her mother put up with him. "You can either allow it willingly, or you can face the consequences that come from disobeying destiny. There is nothing to discuss!"

Sirius had sauntered over to Minos' throne and as Marlene gave her ultimatum, he plopped down on Minos' lap.

"See, I told you not to make her mad, you naughty boy you." He popped a grape off the bunch he'd been idly snacking on and bumped it against Minos' nose, making a high pitched boop sound that nearly caused Marlene to break from her role as the cold and unfeeling daughter of Fate. Then Sirius proceeded to toss the grape into Minos' open mouth. "Aw, what a good pet. See it's not so hard to be reasonable. If you do as you're told you might even get a reward." Sirius leered before placing a sloppy kiss on his cheek and standing. "Oh, and those cots were quite thoughtful, Minnie. I think I'll be far more comfortable tonight."

Marlene bit her cheek to keep from laughing at the look of total and complete disbelief on Minos' face as Sirius flailed back across the room to her side.

"Are we clear, Minos?" Marlene asked in a tired voice.

He nodded silently.

"Then, good day," she turned on her heels and stalked out of the room towards their cell, the guard running to catch up to her and Sirius.

"Soooo," Sirius sang as they walked, "the chairs were impressive."

Marlene sighed, "He was going to bind us once we sat down and send us back to Athens."

Sirius grunted, "That would have been an inconvenience. Is he going to keep playing these games?"

Marlene tried to focus and took his arm so she could close her eyes while they walked. Her foresight suddenly seemed much clearer but her heart also lept at the feeling of his skin under her hands again. "No, we descend into the maze at sunset."

"Wow," Sirius' voice had a bit of a tight edge to it and it was as if she had somehow turned her sight to him as she could see his desperately good intentions concerning her, and the conflict he had over her. Marlene immediately opened her eyes. As much as she wanted to pursue that conversation along with perhaps continuing their activities from earlier, the noon high sun told her they only had a few hours to figure out how the two of them were going to lead the twelve tributes into and out of the maze, along with the little problem of killing the beast.

The guard placed them back in their cell, and Marlene had an idea for the latter.

"I want to try something. Up for some experiments?" She smiled at Sirius, finally dropping her inhumanly bleak facade.

"Am I going to explode like those chairs?" He chuckled.

She rolled her eyes, "Minos upset me and I wanted him to know it."

"Where do you think I came up with the story of you having a temper?" He smirked at her.

"You're ridiculous," she shook her head before plowing on. "I'm going to close my eyes and turn to the wall. I want you to move around the room and then stop. I'll see if I can see it before you do it."

Sirius nodded as she shut her eyes and turned away from him. She concentrated on Sirius and suddenly she could see him and the path he chose. She smiled and turned to see Sirius halfway to his stopping point.

"It worked," she said excitedly.

Sirius stepped closer to her and took her hand, "Of course it did."

She wanted to kiss him, desperately. She wanted to run her hands through his hair again and hear him groan as she pulled her nails along his scalp. But she had enough of her mother in her to somehow deny herself.

"I should try it with someone else," she said quietly staring up at him, "make sure that I could do it with the Minotaur too. If you know every move before he does it, he won't be able to touch you."

Sirius smiled, "And perhaps I might lasso a bull-headed death-beast in the process." He chuckled as he looked down at the vine around his neck. "Father did say it would be both useful and fabulous."

Marlene felt her heart soar. They had a plan.

She spent the rest of the day practicing, reaching out to the other cells and to the floors above them and while she was never able to see more than a minute into their futures, she could control her sight and she could direct it, that was what mattered.

However, walking down with Sirius and the other tributes managed to dampen her enthusiasm just a bit. The guards locked them in the entrance and Marlene turned to give the twelve the instructions to stay out from underfoot and they'd be fine.

"But how will we make it back out if you and the Son of Dionysus are separated from us?" One of the girls cried.

Marlene was about to assure her that it wouldn't happen when she felt her cloak catch on the wall and begin unraveling. And as her mother had promised, her destiny revealed itself to her, and he was standing to her right. In her foresight she saw him step away from the dead bull and kiss her, she saw him standing next to her in her mother's home, she saw him standing next to her in a million scenarios all at once, and she knew she was fated to be the Instrument of Fate, with this Son of Dionysus by her side.

"My cloak was made to unravel," she smiled at the girl. "Its string will be your guide out. Sirius's nose will be our map in." Marlene turned to smile at him and he took his cue, shifting into his adorable dog.

Sirius barked once and then started down the maze, their group close behind him, Marlene's cloak unraveling with every step.


	16. Chapter 16

Sirius was vaguely aware of the thirteen followers behind him, but he was far more focused on the smell ahead of him. It hadn't been hard to find the sent, in fact, it was one of the only scents in this twisting labyrinth. The monster seemed to enjoy snacking on anything unlucky enough to end up down here.

The smell continued to get stronger and finally, Sirius turned the last corner and found the beast sleeping in the center of the chamber. He carefully shifted back to human form and turned to see Marlene without her cloak, a string in her hands being all that was left. He was suddenly very glad that he hadn't seen Marlene without her cloak on before now.

He brought a finger to his lips to motion for everyone to remain quiet before leading them quietly back down the corridor. Then he started handing out bunches of grapes.

"Are you providing them with food for the show?" Marlene scoffed at him.

"No, I'm enlisting them. They're going to be pelting him with grapes." Sirius smirked at her and took a bit of satisfaction in the way her face softened.

"That's not a bad idea," she chuckled.

"Will we need to wake the thing?" Sirius handed the last bunch of grapes over.

Marlene closed her eyes. "No, he'll wake here in a few minutes."

Sirius hurried along, "Tributes, it's your job to create a diversion. Confuse the beast. Don't give away the angle of our next attack. Are you with me, my grape throwing army?"

The tributes nodded, though perhaps they did not look entirely convinced of the value of grapes as a weapon of war. Sirius thought this showed a major lack of creativity, but he didn't have time to teach these youths the many uses of grapes. He had a monster to subdue.

Sirius didn't consider himself a morning person by any means, but he really hoped he never woke up in as foul a mood as the Minotaur appeared to. In fact, he'd never seen anyone at all look quite as angry as the Minotaur looked at that moment. This was saying something, considering Sirius spent the first 20 years of his life in the company of his mother.

"Hey Ugly! How does it feel knowing that your mum had to disguise herself as a cow to get your sire interested?" Insulting the beast's mother was the first thing that came to mind. Luckily, the mother in question was not exactly hard to insult. She'd enlisted Daedalus to construct a cow suit for her intended seduction of a bull who'd caught her fancy. That craftsman must have had some major lingering questions, and Sirius hoped the Cretan Queen at least paid him well.

Right on cue, the tributes started pummeling grapes at the beast from all directions.

"Sirius, left!" Marlene's voice cracked and he jumped left just in time for the Minotaur to run past him. The monster seemed a bit disoriented as he realized Sirius had sidestepped him. Sirius chanced a glance at Marlene, who stood with inhuman grace her face fixed on the bull but her eyes closed. He turned back to the bull who grunted as he had found Sirius again.

"Jump!" Marlene's voice cracked again. As Sirius hurled himself a good three feet into the air, the Minotaur lunged, viciously charging towards where Sirius' legs had been. When the beast failed to collide with Sirius, it tripped under its own momentum, sliding on the ground for several feet.

"Oooo not too graceful. Both hideous _and_ clumsy? That's just shameful."

The Minotaur stood itself up straight, then kicked back the dirt under its feet, which in and of itself seemed absurd since it's lower body was that of a man.

A well-aimed grape hit the beast on the back of its bullish head, causing it to turn for only a second. Sirius took this opportunity to throw the loop of vines around the Minotaur's thick neck.

It looked back towards him in confusion, but before it could take another step, vines grew rapidly around its body, restricting all movement.

"Didn't your father ever teach you to keep your eye on your opponent? No? Oh, that's right. Your father was a bull. So sorry about that."

The vines overtook the angry creature in full, suffocating it. Sirius hoped the beast's body would provide nourishment to the earth. It seemed only right that would be the purpose the beast would serve, after dining on the flesh of mortals for years. Food for the plants and the worms; a fitting fate for the Minotaur.

Fate had smiled upon Sirius in this endeavor, and he did not fail to notice that her daughter was smiling as well as she ran into his embrace. He wasn't prepared for the kiss she planted on his lips, but he was not going to waste the opportunity to kiss her again. He pulled her closer to him and brought a hand into her curls. Marlene's hands tangled themselves into his hair as she deepened the kiss.

Sirius had completely forgotten there was anyone else there with them until one of the tributes cleared their throat. He sighed as Marlene pulled away with a look of happiness on her face he'd never seen before.

"Let us return to Athens," Marlene smiled at the twelve tributes. "You have all performed admirably." She took Sirius' hand in hers and looked down at the dead monster. "We'll need that," she sighed and turned to the six young men, "Would you please bring it along?" The tributes were aided in their task by the vines which served as handles on the great horrible dead thing.

"You were brilliant!" Marlene stood on her toes and whispered into Sirius's ear in a way that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

"You always seem surprised. So rude, honestly." He kissed the top of her curls and wrapped a hand around the far side of her waist as they continued following her string out of the maze.

All at once, reality hit him like a punch in the gut. This was it. They'd completed their task. Now they'd return to Athens and Marlene would go back to the life she'd planned. He had no plan but knew that a life without Marlene was an unacceptable option.

She was promised to another man. She'd kissed him, but she hadn't given him any indication that she was willing to break her contract and throw her life into disarray for the chance to do so again. No kissing was quite that impressive, he thought.

He hadn't told her how he felt. Not in words, in any case. Would it be cruel to do so now? Would it bring her anything other than pain? Would she accept his offer to go with her as her dog and accept only stolen moments when her mortal husband was away? It was dishonorable and made him a little sick to his stomach, but he still preferred it to never seeing her again.

He kept his arm around her as they ascended from the maze and braced himself for heartbreak. He'd gone into the day knowing there was a serious chance he would be lunch for a monstrosity, so he could manage this.

He let the tributes who carried the corpse of the Minotaur ahead of him and stood just outside the maze, taking both Marlene's hands in his. Blue eyes met grey and he dropped down to his knees. He had no idea what he was doing. He very seldom did, so it wasn't as if this was a new feeling.

"Marlene, I love you. I can't let you go on and marry some mortal and give up your powers without telling you. I know you have plans and a destiny and I know it has nothing to do with me, but I had to tell you. I love you, Marlene Daughter of Fate. I would do anything to continue my life at your side. Did I hear you say you were in the market for a dog?"

He attempted to smile but felt tears threatening in his eyes as he looked up to her. This was perhaps more terrifying a challenge than the Minotaur. At least now the thing was dead and dealt with, but no matter what she said, his heart would still ache for Marlene at the end of the day.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: to the guest reviewer "sum angry dud" thank you! You're review was the epitome of praise. ;)**

It should not have taken quite so much effort to refrain from laughing at him, Marlene chided herself. He had just poured his heart out to her, professed his love for her, and offered to be a dog for the rest of her life in order to be with her. She shouldn't be amused, he had no way of seeing what she saw, knowing that their destiny was each other, and that Fate had brought them together.

"Sirius, please get off the floor," she smiled down at him and gently tugged on his hands.

Sirius looked like he'd received his death sentence as he stood and Marlene couldn't help but take pity on him.

"Love," she smiled up at him as she snaked her arms around his neck, "is an excellent word for how I feel about you." She pulled him closer as his eyes widened. "Destiny, is another excellent word."

"Destiny?" He furrowed his brow.

"You, you are my destiny Sirius." She smiled up at him. "You and being the Instrument of Fate. I will not marry the mortal man my father chose. I have chosen to retain my powers. I have chosen you, if you'll have me. Should you be willing to accept all the insanity that being the Daughter of Fate entails, I want you by my side."

Sirius' lips crashed into hers and Marlene finally allowed herself to laugh as he kissed her and ran his hands over her.

"Is that a yes then?" She chuckled as he moved to kiss her neck.

"Let me think about it," Sirius smirked against her and Marlene smacked the back of his head.

"Such a temper, Miss Fate," he pulled back laughing and smiled down at her. "I'll walk the world with you."

Marlene really wanted to keep kissing him, but she was suddenly aware of a schedule they needed to keep. Apparently, accepting one's destiny was rewarded in all sorts of ways, some more enjoyable than others. She sighed as she denied herself of kissing him for the second time in 24 hours.

"Let's get the tributes home," she ran her hand along his face. "Then we can go find someplace to celebrate."

He smirked down at her, "That's an interesting term for it."

Marlene laughed and grabbed his hand, "Ever your father's son."

They came to the entrance where the guards were looking both shocked and confused at the Minotaur's lifeless form.

"Send for your sovereign," Marlene fell back into the cold character that Sirius had created for her.

One guard seemed to thank her for the opportunity to leave her presence and bolted. It wasn't long before Minos' was storming down to the maze entrance.

"Murderers!" He cried. "I will involve my father! You will have Zeus to answer to!"

Marlene was finished with him, "Minos, I grow tired of your tantrums! Shall I expose you to your Kingdom for the child you are? Do you dare tempt Fate?"

"My father is the king of the gods!" He stomped his foot.

"Come now, pet," Sirius made grapes grow over the dead Minotaur and snagged a bunch before leaning against Minos. "The Minotaur was a dreadful nasty toy. I'm sure we can find you a better one. Why don't you come back to Olympus with us and ask your Father Dear to come up with something a bit prettier. Perhaps a bit less smelly, as well. You can let King Aegeus know he doesn't have to send people or money to you anymore on the way, since we'll be dropping these lovely little mortals back to their families." Sirius bumped a grape against Minos' nose again and made the same boop noise he had before. "Doesn't that just warm your little heart, Minnie?"

Minos looked like he was going to scream. "I will do no such thing!"

Marlene sighed tiredly. "You will not stop us; you are about to find out exactly who is in control."

She turned to their group, "Let us return." She stalked past Minos and managed to hide her smile as Sirius gave him another kiss.

"You heard her pet, it's been fun but Fate is in charge you know, and I like living with my bowels inside my body."

Sirius walked up to her side and took her hand. "Don't ever let me play my father again," he whispered. "I'm starting to annoy myself."

"But you're so good at it," she teased him quietly.

"Rude!" He rolled his eyes.

Marlene led them to the docks, all the while Minos following after them screaming about how they wouldn't get away with this. Marlene smiled as she saw the sun crest over the horizon, he was about to find out why she was the more compassionate one to be cursed by.

The black ship was still harbored where it had been and as she approached, the sailors all stared at her from the deck, yelling for their shipmates and captain. She spotted the captain and called out to him. "We require passage back to Athens."

He sputtered.

"I forbid it!" Minos yelled.

"Minos," Marlene turned to face him with cold eyes. "My patience is at an end. This day, your Kingdom shall know you for the twisted insolent brat that you are. This day your skin shall decay and your bowels fail you, until the sun sets, all shall know your true nature!"

The change of leprosy was slow but his incontinence came immediately. Minos was now screaming for an entirely different reason. Marlene turned back to the captain.

"When do we leave captain?" She called up to him. He sputtered a moment before remembering how to speak.

"At once, Dreadful Daughter!" He saluted and called for the gangplank to be lowered.

"As soon as you find white sails," Marlene nodded and led their little group back onto the ship, "and enough food to feed the Athenian friends you are returning home."

Amazingly, the ships harbored next to theirs were more than willing to give their ship everything they needed and more to get them off the Island of Crete. They set sail within the hour and Marlene moved to stand near the stern of the ship, watching Crete disappear. She smiled as Sirius walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Is it later?" He pushed her hair aside to kiss her neck.

Marlene chuckled, "That depends upon the manner of celebration you're asking for, presently."

He hummed against her, "Right now I'll settle for this."

She spun in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Then it's later." And she kissed him.


	18. Chapter 18

Crete had already faded away into the distance by the time it occurred to Sirius to pull himself away from Marlene's lips. He'd devoted far too much of his efforts and energy to not kissing her to react any differently to her declaration that she chose him.

Someone was choosing _him_! Not just anyone. Marlene! She was brilliant and beautiful. She could have chosen anything or anyone. The whole world should have kneeled at this woman's feet. She could crack chairs into bits with her mind, for one. But she chose Sirius. Sirius had to take a deep breath in and pinch himself to be assured that he wasn't dreaming.

She shook her head and laughed. Her mass of dark spirals bounced in time with her chuckles.

"You are laughing at me, Miss Fate! Explain yourself." Sirius ran his hands around her waist, enjoying that there was no longer any reason for him not to.

"You offered to be my dog." Marlene laughed harder.

"Well excuse me for being completely hopelessly in love with you and also sometimes a dog!" Sirius tried to look offended, but it was very hard to feel that way when she looked so happy.

"I don't believe I will excuse you. I rather like you this way." Marlene ran a gentle hand over his face as she managed to still her laughter.

"We should get married!" He heard the words come out of his mouth before he considered that perhaps she wouldn't agree. But there was no unsaying them, so he smiled down at her with all the excitement and hope of a puppy.

The silence went on for too long for his liking as she stared up into his face, blue eyes wide, so he had to fill it. "Since you weren't in the market for a dog after all, I figured perhaps you were in want of a husband?"

Marlene laughed at him again, but her smile seemed to shine through her eyes with such intensity he wouldn't have been surprised to have found himself blind. "That was quite the proposal!" She held onto him to keep from laughing herself onto the floor. "But I quite like the idea of being your wife." She was still laughing, but Sirius didn't care as he kissed her again.

"Good. My father will throw us the wedding of the century!" He managed to speak while peppering her skin with kisses.

"He won't see it as an affront?" Marlene sighed contentedly and leaned into him. "Isn't he rather against the whole concept?"

"I'm not sure but I think he's a fan of love in all its forms. To be honest he'll be thrilled as long as there's a proper big party to celebrate." He stopped kissing her long enough to look down at her still smiling face. "We can have a party, can't we, my darling?"

"If I was not prepared to enjoy a party or ten, I wouldn't have accepted you as my dog, much less my husband." She smirked and pulled him back down to her lips.

After a moment Sirius pulled back. "Will your mother be alright with it? Should I ask her permission or is that a little silly seeing as she knows exactly what everyone is going to do before they do it?"

"I'm sure she's more than thrilled. She obviously knew. I'm sure it's why she sent me. She made lots of vague comments about finding my destiny on this journey. It was hard to decipher at the time because that's just what she's like but now it seems almost comically obvious that she was talking about _you_." Her hands had climbed into his hair and Sirius was finding it took a great deal of effort to concentrate on what she was saying when she pulled her nails along his scalp.

It took a monumental effort to step away from her, but he managed. He knew now that there was time. He'd have all the time in the world to feel her hands on him and show her exactly how much he loved her. He had some pressing questions, and also they were on a boat in broad daylight where any of the 12 Athenian youths or crew could happen upon them at any moment.

"Will what's-his-name kick up a fuss about the broken engagement?" Sirius asked, realizing again that he had no idea what the man's name was.

"Giannis?" She laughed as she tangled her fingers with his. "I think perhaps he'll be relieved."

"He has a name! That's the first time I've heard it, you know. I wondered if maybe you'd forgotten it, yourself." He laughed as she rolled her eyes.

"You're ridiculous."

"Do you think your father will be upset?" He pulled her closer to him. "Do you think he'll like me? I could meet him as a dog. I'm quite likeable as a dog, I hear." She laughed at him.

"That will not be necessary." She rested her head against his chest and sighed. "He might have a hard time understanding, but I'd like to think that above all he wants me to be happy. You make me happy. As a person." Then she smirked up at him. "Also as a dog, occasionally, because you really are a very good boy." She reached up and ruffled his hair, "but mostly as a person." She stood on her toes and kissed his lips sweetly.

Sirius laughed against her as he returned her kiss. He much preferred being with her as a person as well.


	19. Chapter 19

The two days journey back to Athens felt like a dream. It was amazing how the euphoria seemed to permeate everything. She couldn't even be bothered by the fact that most of the crew looked at her like she was Medusa. Having Sirius there with her made all their fear a bit easier to swallow. Sirius was proof not everyone would feel that way about her.

She stood with Sirius' arms wrapped around her waist as the crew prepared to dock in Athens port. There was a crowd gathered, and King Aegeus of Athens stood at its front.

"What do you say," she looked up at Sirius with a sly smile, "that once we get everything sorted out with the Aegeus down there, we go find an inn or something for a couple of days before making our way back to Dion and Olympus?"

Sirius chuckled and pulled her tighter. "I thought the couple was supposed to escape away after the ceremony."

"For being a son of Dionysus, you have a strong streak of conventionalism." She laughed at him as he pinched her side.

"We all lose something to our mortal nature," Sirius whispered into her ear before placing his lips against her neck.

"I'm calling that answer a yes," She arched back into him and sighed.

Sirius went to say something, but he was interrupted by the captain's trembling voice.

"Dreadful Daughter, Son of Dionysus, we're ready to lower the gangplank."

"Wonderful news!" Sirius smacked the man on the back. "Let's get everyone on dry land!"

The captain looked at Sirius with almost as much apprehension as he did Marlene, for very different reasons. Marlene chuckled as the twelve eagerly lined up, calling out to family members who had heard the black ship had returned. It brought tears to her eyes to see the youthful faces reunited with their parents and loved ones. She and Sirius took their time to make their way off the ship. When they finally stepped foot on the dock, King Aegeus was waiting for them.

"Daughter of Fate and Son of Dionysus, our kingdom is forever in your debt!" He was nervous, but he seemed bolstered by the fact that that Fate had favored his kingdom this day.

"The feud between your Kingdom and the Kingdom of Crete is at an end, Aegeus. The Minotaur is dead. No longer will you send tributes, in lives or monetary means, to Minos." Marlene tried to give a softer display than the one she had in Crete. Aegeus would do whatever she commanded right now, he didn't need to also fear her entirely.

"Our deepest gratitude to you!" Aegeus cried. "My palace will always be a home to you both! Forever will the Kingdom of Athens make space for the Daughter of Fate and the Son of Dionysus!"

"Really old boy, Sirius and Marlene are fine. You'll get tongue tied if you keep trying to call us that way, plus I don't think Father even knows how many sons he has, so…" Sirius smirked and Aegeus seemed to relax a bit.

"I would be honored," he inclined his head to them. "Please," he gestured towards his palace, "Stay this day with me. I will prepare a feast and wine and we will celebrate your heroic journey!"

Sirius perked up at the word wine and Marlene was about to accept the invitation when she saw Helios touch down on the water.

"There you two are!" He yelled. "Moira said you'll be needing a ride home. She said she'd have Dionysus there when we reach Olympus."

Marlene sighed, "We will have to postpone our stay, Aegeus. Fate has called."

Aegeus looked very nervous, "Of course, of course, our door is always open to you both."

Marlene took Sirius' hand and walked towards the water.

"Helios, I am not wading into the ocean for this," Marlene gave Helios a pointed look.

The god sighed and rolled his eyes, "Only because I have a schedule to keep." Marlene felt herself lifted into the air with Sirius and set gently down on the bench of Helios' chariot.

Marlene sighed as they flew over Athens, "At least we don't have to figure our own way back to Olympus."

"I could have really done with that wine though," Sirius lounged idly on the bench, much as he had when they traveled down to Athens.

"How was mine, by the way?" Marlene leaned into him.

Sirius played with her curls, "Impressive, but it had a bit of a kick to it. Was that intentional?"

Marlene chuckled, "No, but like I said, the fruit doesn't grow far from the vine. Let's just say, never accept a goblet from my mother."

Sirius chuckled, "Noted, any reason why?"

"It knocked Zeus on his rear," Marlene laughed. "He suggested to Mother that she might feel better about her parting of ways with my father if she found someone new. Mother handed him a goblet and said it was by way of thanks for his advice. He coughed so hard he caused a wind storm."

Sirius laughed and pulled her closer. "That's my new favorite Zeus story!"

"Because it involves wine?" Marlene chuckled.

"Because it involves my family making a fool of him," Sirius whispered against her cheek.

Marlene turned to kiss him soundly. She was quite content to kiss him for longer, but the chariot went into a dive and they looked down to see her parents and Dionysus standing near the entrance to Zeus' palace.

"To be continued," Sirius placed one last kiss against her lips before sitting up.

"_Welcome home, my beloved daughter," _her mother's voice sounded in her foresight as the chariot touched down.

"You lived!" Dionysus flailed his arms around Sirius as Marlene climbed down from the chariot. "I was almost certain you would!"

Marlene turned to her mother and wrapped her arms around her.

"_Thank you, for everything,"_ Marlene held tight to her.

"_I love you, Marlene. And I'm so proud of you!" _Her mother pulled back and smiled. "_He's been distraught without you."_

Marlene smiled and turned to her father. She flew to his arms and let the tears fall as she held onto him.

"I've been so worried," he choked out.

"Here," Marlene pressed the pouch he'd given her into his hands. "We did it, Sirius and I, we killed the Minotaur."

He tucked the pouch under his cloak. "I'm so glad you're safe." He cupped her face in his hand. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Father," Marlene pulled herself back into him.

"_Do you see it?" _Her mother's voice sounded.

And then she did, she saw her father's unhappiness at her choice to be the Daughter and Instrument of Fate.

She sighed and pulled back. "Father, I know you want me to become mortal and marry Giannis, but I've chosen differently. I'm going to be Mother's Instrument, and this," she turned to Sirius, "is Sirius, one of the sons of Dionysus. He's asked me to be his wife, and I've accepted. Sirius, this is my father, Vassilis."

Sirius smiled as he came to stand next to her.

Vassilis' shock was apparent on his face, "But, but Marlene, you've suffered so much because of the abilities you inherited from your mother."

Marlene nodded, "I know, but I love Sirius, and he loves me. We are equals already, neither of us needs give up anything to be together. And he makes me happy, Father." Marlene could hear the pleading in her voice - as if that could change the reality she saw.

"I'll do everything in my power to make her happy," Sirius wrapped an arm protectively around her waist. "You have my word that I would give my life for your daughter."

Vassilis shook his head, "What am I to tell Giannis?"

"Leave that to me," Moira stepped forward, "That is my responsibility."

Vassilis huffed, "I'm sorry, I think this is a mistake." He turned and started down towards Dion.

"Father!" Marlene cried, "Please, Father!" He didn't turn back.

"_Do you see it?" _Her mother asked. But Marlene saw nothing this time.

"_No, Mother," _Marlene felt hot tears stream down her cheeks.

"_Take comfort, my daughter," _there was a warmth in her mother's mind that helped soothe the hurt Marlene felt.

"Well, that's quite a downer," Dionysus sounded from behind them. "So sorry he's being stubborn about this. But know that I'm thrilled! Confused, but thrilled!" He wrapped Marlene and Sirius in a hug.

"Dionysus," Moira chuckled, "Why don't you go start making plans for the party?"

"Wonderful idea!" Dionysus cried and summoned a goblet out of thin air.

"Father, where's James," Sirius turned from her.

"James? Oh your little mortal, he's with your sister somewhere, probably at one of our regular spots." Dionysus shrugged but it looked more like he was attempting to keep from jumping in the air by pulling his head into himself. "I'd best be off! So much to do!" Without further ceremony, the god of revelry popped out of sight, leaving Marlene clinging to Sirius' arms as she watched her father walk down to Dion.


	20. Chapter 20

"Your father will come around, my love. Do you want to go with your mother? Or we could go find my best mate. He's apparently kept himself well occupied in my absence and seems to have grown close to one of my father's various daughters. A party might be a nice distraction? Or if you aren't in the mood for a party, we can abscond to someplace, just the pair of us, if you'd like? Whatever makes you happy." The words tumbled out so rapidly that if one didn't pay any heed to their actual content then Sirius thought he would have sounded a lot like his father. He couldn't help it. He was still brimming with excitement that Marlene had agreed to be his wife. He had to practice real restraint to keep his feet planted on the ground.

There was a long pause as Marlene looked at her mother. Sirius got the impression they were speaking to each other somehow, both looked lost to the present world. Finally, they seemed to return as Marlene sighed.

"The son of Dionysus just offered to pass up a party for my sake. Is this some sort of very odd dream?" Marlene shook her head and smiled up at him, it was a bit forced, but it was her same beautiful smile.

"I ask myself that same question every day…" He ran a hand along her face and then jumped when his soon to be mother-in-law disappeared before his eyes.

"Mother has gone to speak with Father and Giannis." She took in a deep breath before straightening in his arms. "I think I'd like to meet your friend and your sister."

Sirius pulled his eyes away from the spot Fate had just stood and looked back down at Marlene. "I've only met my sister once, and only for a minute. But James did seem rather smitten in that minute. I'm curious how that's gone. Are you sure, though?"

"Positive," she reached up and kissed him just once before lacing her fingers with his and following him in the direction Sirius thought was most likely to bring him into contact with James.

Soon enough they found him, dancing with the red-haired daughter of Dionysus, looking even more thoroughly smitten. Sirius laughed to himself. This whole Demigod business had come with some unexpected perks. Apparently, a matchmaking service was part of the package. It was perhaps a bit strange considering the poor track records of the gods where monogamy was concerned, but Sirius had no complaints so he was not going to question any of it. Who was he to question Fate? She was going to be his mother in law quite soon and he was intent on making a good impression!

"Are you going to introduce me or are we just going to watch them from over here?" Marlene tugged on his hand as he stared at James and Lily. "Because the latter is perhaps a bit creepy. I advise against it."

"I'm just happy that my friend appears to have found love! That's hardly creepy, Miss Fate." He put on a faux disapproving tone. It didn't hold up to her smile. He had to kiss her. She was just so very kissable.

Of course, it was during this momentary distraction that James must have noted his presence. He felt the slap of a hand on his shoulder, pulling his attention away from Marlene. He spun around and was met with an immediate embrace from his lifelong friend.

"Well, that's one way to celebrate that you're not dead!" James laughed loudly. "Glad you didn't get eaten and all but I thought perhaps you'd notify me of your presence before attaching yourself to this woman's face." He held a hand out to Marlene, "Hi, by the way! I'm James. This idiot is my oldest friend in the world. Best of luck with him because he's properly exhausting and his father will not stop undressing me with his eyes."

"Oh come now. He's just appreciating the scenery!" Sirius's sister Lily chimed in, rolling her eyes as she took James arm.

"James, Lily, this is Marlene," Sirius pulled Marlene to him, "daughter of Fate, slayer of the Minotaur, crusher of chairs, and also my betrothed wife."

"Crusher of chairs?" James looked perplexed.

"Yes!" Sirius nodded excitedly. "She crushed two of Minos's chairs just with her mind! It was wicked! But… That's the part you take issue with? Really?" Sirius was sure that his friend would be at least _a little _surprised that he'd come back, not only alive but with a woman crazy enough to have consented to marry him.

"I might have been in on this whole scheme from the get-go…" he gestured from Sirius to Marlene, obviously indicating… well, Sirius wasn't sure.

"What? There was a scheme?" He gave James a quizzical stare.

"Oh yes," James nodded. "To be fair I don't think either of the deities involved even noted my presence. I was more of a bystander. But there was most certainly a scheme. Glad to see that it worked out nicely! Lovely to meet you, Marlene. You look very like your mother, except less terrifying."

"You don't think I look terrifying?" Marlene looked baffled at James for a moment, then turned her attention back to Sirius. "I like your mortal friend, Sirius. Let's keep him."

"You'll have to fight me for him, brother." Lily winked.

"Glad to see our father had the right idea," Sirius smirked at his newfound sister.

"Lily!" Dionysus walked up behind them and pulled the group into an awkward embrace. "I was just coming to let you know Sirius is alive and back for his little mortal but looks like he found you first. He's getting married you know?!" He released them and flung his arms up in the air.

"Hello Father," Lily laughed, "Sirius has just introduced us to Marlene."

"Yes, yes, all very wonderful and confusing but Moira knows what she's doing. Oh," he turned to Marlene, "I mean no insult, but I don't think it wise to serve your mother's unique vintage at the wedding. She's a dear and all," he pulled a goblet out of the air, "but she does something strange to the poor grapes."

Marlene laughed and Sirius felt his heart leap, that would take some getting used to.

"Don't worry, Dionysus, we're leaving the party up to you."

Sirius laughed as his father spun in celebration of the news and the way his arms looked rather like a scarf flapping around in the wind.

"Excellent! So much to do! This will be one of my finest displays!" He kissed James on the cheek before skipping away.

"Well, at least we know that our wedding will be something to talk about." Marlene chuckled.

"Father is good at a few things." Lily smiled at James who had taken a step closer to her as if that would protect him from more of Dionysus' advances. "He generally likes his children to be happy."

"Yes that," Sirius smiled before grabbing a goblet from a passing tray, "and he's quite adept with grapes."

Everyone collapsed into laughter. Sirius, though lacking Marlene's powers of foresight, still managed to see a future with these people. From what he could tell, it looked like a happy one.


	21. Chapter 21

Marlene hadn't initially wanted to go find James and Lily, but her mother had been right. Being around people who didn't fear her had helped to ease the pain in her heart. Something about Dionysus made it easier for these people to accept Fate. Not everyone felt that way certainly, and some were so lost in their drink that they would have hugged the Minotaur, but every child of Dionysus that Lily introduced them to seemed unperturbed by who she was.

The feeling was freeing.

Marlene met more half-siblings of her betrothed than she had been initially expecting, all of whom seemed excited to meet Sirius, and then excited to meet her as his betrothed. Though some were more than a bit perplexed.

It didn't take long before James asked Sirius to tell him what happened on their journey. Marlene laughed as Sirius became a performer before her very eyes. He'd obviously been more reserved in the midst of their potential doom, because he'd never told a story with quite this level of enthusiasm in the days he'd been telling her stories. After the first telling to James and Lily, Marlene saw in her foresight that ultimately he'd tell the story to a crowd in the nearby courtyard. So rather than making him tell it a few times before someone set him up in the courtyard, she decided to speed the process.

"Lily, would you let everyone know Sirius will tell the tale again in the courtyard a few homes down?" Marlene asked and Lily's face brightened considerably as she nodded and jumped from her seat, sending each group of mingling partiers out to the courtyard.

"I am?" Sirius looked confused.

"Someone else would have insisted upon it in the next couple hours," Marlene shrugged. "I've decided to move it up to now instead."

"We should make you a stage!" James laughed.

"Yes," Marlene smirked at him, "you should."

Sirius rolled his eyes, "If I wasn't madly in love with you this would probably be annoying."

Marlene kissed his cheek and laughed, "I'm trying to get you used to it before the euphoria wears off."

Sirius smirked at her, "You have a long way before that, love."

It didn't take long for a small stage to be erected and for the courtyard to fill with the children and worshippers of Dionysus. Sirius gave a masterful retelling of their adventure and everyone cheered when it was the vines that ultimately killed the beast. When he told of professing his undying love to her, Marlene saw open weeping in the crowd. But she really wished she'd been trying to use her foresight before he asked the crowd if they'd like to meet her. They'd cheered and Lily and James had pushed her up onto the stage with Sirius where he kissed her soundly in front of the crowd. They'd cheered and clapped and whistled before he introduced her to them as "the most beautiful woman in the world, the Daughter of Fate, the hero of their adventure, and his betrothed wife."

The crowd had surged forward and Marlene was overrun by congratulations and excitement and acceptance in a way she'd never known from strangers. But after a few hours of using her foresight to make sure she didn't end up covered in wine and food and other much less pleasant things, Marlene decided she'd had quite enough and pulled Sirius away.

She walked him to the neighborhood that her father lived in. These streets had been as much her playground as Zeus' palace.

"This is where I was the first time my foresight came to me." She pointed to a fountain in one of the many courtyards.

"What did you see?" Sirius pulled her to the fountain and sat down. Marlene smiled and scooted close to him.

"I was playing with some of the kids who lived here, and I saw that one of them would steal a coin from another. I immediately called out to the other child to warn them, but it created a great deal of confusion and bickering." She sighed, "Most of the parents accused me of stirring up trouble. They told their children it would be best not to play with me."

Sirius pulled her closer, "How old were you?"

"Eight," Marlene rested against his chest. "I think that's when Father really began to consider asking me to be mortal. In his eyes, it solved all my problems."

Sirius was quiet for a long while before he spoke, "Do you think it would solve all your problems?"

Marlene turned to face him with a smile, "No, because nothing solves all the problems anyone may have. I may have liked the idea of a single solution, but I see now that there's no such thing. There will always be people who fear, hate, despise, and curse me for who I am, but I've learned that there will also be people who like, love, cherish and celebrate me for who I am. I spent far too long listening to that first group. I'm choosing to start listening to the latter."

Sirius looked like he could fly and Marlene was about to push up to kiss him when she heard a familiar voice.

"I'd like to know if I can join that latter group as well."

Marlene turned to see her father standing a few feet from them. Her feet moved of their own accord, carrying her to his arms where she held him tightly.

"I'm so sorry, Marlene, more than I can ever express," he pressed her to him and Marlene felt her tears fall for a much happier reason this time around.

"What changed?" Marlene smiled up at him.

Vassilis chuckled, "Your mother came and found me; she insisted that I had to be there when she told Giannis that you weren't too be his wife. And," he sighed and dropped his head, "and I hated the look of relief and happiness on Giannis' face when your mother told him he couldn't marry you. I hated myself for thinking you ever would have been happy with him." Vassilis looked up again. "I love you, and if you are happy then I fully support you."

Marlene's smile hurt her face as she clung to her father. He held her just as tightly for a moment before pulling away and walking to where Sirius stood near the fountain.

"I owe you an apology, Sirius. I'm sorry for discounting your devotion to my daughter." He reached out and Sirius took his offered hand. "Come to my home, we'll talk and get to know one another. You and Marlene can tell me about your adventures in Athens and Crete."

Sirius pulled Vassilis into a hug and laughed, "I see where Marlene gets her love of stories."

Vassilis chuckled as he stepped back and reached for Marlene's hand. She stepped forward and took his hand as he smiled at her, "The fruit does not grow far from its vine."

Sirius smiled at Marlene with adoring eyes as her father transferred her hand from his to Sirius'.

"It really doesn't," he smiled at her father before the three set off for Vassilis' home.


	22. Chapter 22

Sirius spun his newly wed wife in his arms and carried her straight from one dance into the next. It was their party, and he was intent on having the very best time in the whole history of wedding receptions. He thought he could probably manage. He was the son of Dionysus and it didn't hurt that he'd just nabbed the most beautiful woman in the whole world as his wife.

"Are you planning on keeping me to yourself all night? I have not yet had the chance to dance with my father, nor your father for that matter."

"I'm greedy when it suits me. I'll not have you dancing with my father."

"No? He seems to be a great dancer. Look." She gestured to the god of revelry dancing on his own, or else with everyone. He did not look lonely, that was certain.

"Obviously. But it would only serve as an excuse for Zeus to cut in."

"Afraid he'll turn into a very dashing flamingo and steal your bride?" Marlene's eyes flashed in amusement.

Sirius scoffed. "Who said I thought he'd want to dance with you? I meant me! I don't want him trying to impregnate me with his eyes. I'm too attached to my figure and besides, I don't know the first thing about hatching an egg."

"You're absolutely ridiculous, do you know that?" Marlene ran a hand into the hair at the nape of his neck and Sirius felt the electricity of her touch down his back.

"I'm charming, I'll have you know," he leaned his forehead into hers.

She smiled up at him before catching his lips in hers. Sirius was rather fond of dancing and kissing, but his wife always had good ideas like that. He was just about to suggest they abscond somewhere for a while when Marlene pulled away. Her eyes grew distant and her moves stilted.

"You're doing it," Sirius gently led her off the dance floor, "The thing with your mother."

"Observant," Marlene gestured to her mother to come closer, so as to converse aloud.

"Sirius, have you any plans to take up an occupation?"

"You're being polite asking. You must know well that I inherited my planning abilities from my father. That's why your daughter is my perfect match. Or… that's one of many reasons. You raised a wonderful woman, Moira. Thank you."

"I will happily take credit. Thank _you_," Moira grinned fondly at him. "And you're right. I was being polite. The two of you are fated to lift the burden off some nearby farmers."

"You're sending me to help out on a farm? I guess that's logical. I'm quite good with vines! But isn't it a bit cold for that?"

"Sirius," Marlene rolled her eyes, "she doesn't want us to become farm hands. You have to listen to what she _means_ not what she _says_."

"Ah. Well. There's my problem." Sirius shrugged. He supposed that he had a lifetime to acclimate to the idiosyncrasies of life with Fate.

"I'll spell it out for you." Moira smiled kindly at him. "Demeter is lonely. She misses her daughter terribly. Every year she makes things worse for the farmers closest to her and it's time she find a hobby."

"What sort of hobby?" Sirius found the notion rather strange.

"You'll know when the time is right," Moira turned to Marlene and her eyes grew distant, as did Marlene's. It was slightly unnerving watching them speak in what Marlene had called their foresight. It was like looking at two beautiful statues.

"My boy!" Dionysus appeared out of thin air and threw a long arm over Sirius' shoulders. Sirius wished he had his wife's foresight because his father had nearly given him a heart attack.

"Hello Father," Sirius took a couple deep breaths. "It looks like I'll be able to check in on your followers in Eleusis."

"Eleusis!" Dionysus cried out in a sing song voice. "You must stop and say hello to dear Demeter! Demeter is a bit dramatic and teary but she's a doll the majority of the year and I do enjoy her, when she isn't moping about."

Moira and Marlene turned back to them and Sirius felt his heart flip when Marlene smiled at him.

"I'm going to dance with my father while your father teaches you your next party trick." She kissed him briefly and Sirius had to remind himself that they had time, eons probably, and he didn't _need_ to pull her back, even if he desperately wanted to.

"Next trick?" He asked in confusion. Marlene winked at him before gliding across the room to where Vassilis was seated.

"Dionysus," Moira turned to his father and Sirius was surprised to see some semblance of...calm? Or something akin to it on his father's face. He made a mental note to remember she could do that.

"What does the boy need to know? I rather enjoy," Dionysus broke off as he heard a group across the room cheer.

"Dionysus," Moira called him back and Sirius chuckled as his father flung his head back towards Fate; it was a miracle it didn't go flying across the room. "Dionysus, you must teach Sirius to fly."

"But the boy can only turn into a dog," Dionysus tilted his head in an owlish way and Sirius stared at the way it made his father look rather like he was made of clay.

Moira smiled and sighed, "Do you not rise into the air without wings when it suits you?"

Dionysus turned his head back straight and nodded repeatedly. Then understanding seemed to dawn in his eyes. "Oh! I see! Come my boy, let's get you in the air!"

Sirius was almost certain his mother-in-law was laughing at him as his father pulled him away.

He sighed. Learning to fly was all well and good, but Sirius hoped he'd at least get one night with his new wife before they'd need to leave for Eleusis.

"Don't worry my lad, you'll be back with your new bride in no time. Besides, you've got an eternity ahead of you!" Though Dionysus was hardly paternal in nature, and somewhat baffling to be around in general, Sirius couldn't help but concede that his father had a point.

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**A/N: I can't believe it's finished! Thank you so much for reading all the way through and to everyone who commented and loved this crazy mashup. This was the last story that PJ and I wrote together before life happened. Send some good vibes PJ's way. Maybe someday we'll be able to write more of these fun Blackinnon AUs. Until then, check out PJ's past work on her account - EnthusiasticSloth, and my two stories Saudade (one-shot Marauders era Blackinnon stories) and Ojal****á (one-shot AU Blackinnon stories) which I update at least once a month. Until next time friends. :)**


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